Since February 2002, the Marriott School and Axiom Press have collaborated in the development of Bering Business Guides, a new line of products aimed at the international business traveler. Working through the eBusiness Center and the Global Business Center, students from various majors have gathered useful and interesting information and presented it in a highly engaging and readable format. Guides have been produced for numerous countries, including Saudi Arabia, Brazil, South Africa, Russia, China, France, and Mexico.
The objective for the 2003 - 2004 school year is to generate 20 new guides that will follow those slated for release in October 2003. Countries that students will research include—but will not necessarily be limited to—Belgium, Costa Rica, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Indonesia, Ireland, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Poland, Singapore, Sweden, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam. Each guide will be about 25 pages long. Content categories will include economy, business culture, social interaction, travel, and security.
Ten Bering Business Guides will be developed in the fall and 10 more in the winter. In the course of a semester, students will work in pairs to assemble and write up data for a single country. They will work with a mentor from that country to verify the accuracy and currency of their research, and with an editor from Axiom Press to increase the professionalism of their presentation. They will be coached by Marriott School faculty and have their work reviewed by representatives of the domestic and international business communities. The eBusiness center is responsible for finding these reviewers and mentors.
By collaborating with Axiom Press, the Marriott School has achieved one of its biggest objectives: integrating its students in rewarding partnerships with its faculty and with professionals throughout the world. Bering Business Guides are a vital resource for today's international business traveler. Axiom Press will handle the production, marketing, and delivery of the guides, and the Marriott School will receive a percentage of the sales. Students who do good work may receive a publication credit.
We are looking for students interested in intensive research and writing to be part of this class; businesspeople with significant experience in foreign countries to serve as mentors and reviewers; and businesspeople willing to test beta versions of this product or become involved in other ways.