For one summer class of Clayton State University business students, studying global markets really hit home when two international executives dropped in to offer real-world advice from their careers in the food-service industry.
Rami Abu Ghazaleh, CEO of Saudi Arabian chicken chain ALBAIK, and Dar Vasseghi, CEO of Japan-based Yoshinoya, which focuses on beef bowls, brought their professional experience to the classroom last month to guide MBA students on a term project for an international business course.
The collaboration stemmed from the university’s effort to help students complement theory with practice.
“Closing the gap between academics and the corporate world early on is just smart,” said Mr. Vasseghi, who added that his own academic experience at Stanford University prepared him well for a career in business management.
“The foundational tools and models become second nature to the decision-making process,” Mr. Vasseghi said in a news release.
Clayton State University Professor Leon Prieto, who led the class, also recognized the school’s ambition to “link theory to practice.”
“I am proud of the fact that my students are working with top-level executives in international firms and offering their analysis on a variety of issues related to global expansion and logistics,” Dr. Prieto said in the release.
Located 15 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta, Clayton State University added an international business concentration as part of its MBA program in 2011. (http://www.globalatlanta.comarticle/24843/clayton-state-mba-adds-global-focus/)
For information on the program, visit http://business.clayton.edu.
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