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SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2009 |
SDSU and the San Diego Padres Team Up to Provide Economic Opportunities in the Dominican Republic Dr. Kathleen Krentler Presented with 2009 Outstanding Faculty Contributor California State University Mandated Personnel Furloughs SDSU's International Business Program Ranked 11th in U.S. SDSU HR Degree Program Receives Endorsement EMC Launched Fall 2009 Lavin VentureStart Program Spanos Family to Speak at EMC Event Environmentalist Lectures IB Students SDSU Welcomes EMBA XX Students 2009 International Economic Summit Dean Naughton Presents Award to Sempra Energy’s Felsinger M.B.A. Students Assist with Campus Housing for Student Veterans |
SDSU and the San Diego Padres Team Up to Provide Economic Opportunities in the Dominican Republic
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On June 29, thirty-eight San Diego State University students enrolled in the university’s Sports Business M.B.A. program traveled to the Dominican Republic where they resided and studied at San Diego Padres’ Dominican Republic Baseball Park located near the town of Najayo.
During their 10-day stay, they interviewed community members and studied the socio-economic climate of the region with the intent of investing $20,000 in new economically viable entrepreneurial ventures. One-half of the money was raised by the students themselves and the other half will be provided by a grant from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
These efforts developed by SDSU and the Padres mark the first time that an American university and a professional team have collaborated to provide microfinance capital and other incentives designed to stimulate economic growth in an international setting. Veronica Nogueira, 2009 SDSU Sports Business M.B.A. graduate was hired by the Padres to oversee the business plan implementation and further develop community relations in the Dominican Republic.
The students are currently in the process of developing four comprehensive business plans for the proposed ventures.
“There’s been more of an emphasis on corporate social responsibility by Major League Baseball in the Dominican Republic and the Padres have stepped out front with its support of this unique educational partnership,” said Dr. John Francis, the SDSU management professor and co-creator of the program. “This project provides an enriching real-world educational experience for SDSU students, but it also offers tangible economic benefits for a community in dire need.”
During the students’ field study with the residents of Najayo, they discovered that one of the most critical needs was for a community center that could either be self-sustaining or that may generate revenue. This is one of the business plans being developed currently at SDSU.
“The skills developed by this project in Najayo are applicable to other segments of the increasingly global sports industry,” said Scott Minto, director of SDSU’s Sports Business MBA program. “The class had the opportunity to learn firsthand how the power of sport can help organizations like the Padres break down political, economic and cultural barriers to make a positive impact on an international level.”
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