The Institute for Business in the Global Context (IBGC) is the center for business at The Fletcher School, Tufts University. The IBGC takes a multidimensional approach to business education and research by preparing global leaders to integrate professional skills with an understanding of the geopolitical, financial, humanitarian, and environmental impacts of business.
In the 21st century, business is increasingly intertwined within the global context. Understanding the intersections between private enterprise and politics, people, and the planet is key to keeping pace with our ever-evolving world and finding solutions to its most challenging problems. Fletcher’s Institute for Business in the Global Context is committed to keeping these linkages strong throughout the Fletcher community and beyond.
The institute is centered around three major pillars: education, dialogue, and experiential learning opportunities.
The Institute for Business in the Global Context is home to Fletcher’s Master of International Business (MIB), a two-year, residential program, and the Master of Global Business Administration (GBA), an online degree program. These programs allow students to gain business skills while developing cultural literacy, an increasingly important skill in today’s interconnected world.
Fletcher’s Master of International Business (MIB) combines foundational business skills with a contextual knowledge of the forces driving international affairs and global markets. Comparable to a dual MBA-international affairs degree, the MIB allows students to develop deep competency in international business practices and a nuanced understanding of core areas that impact international affairs, including geopolitics, law, and economics.
The program is a hybrid business/international affairs degree that teaches students the most crucial business skills, as well as the international savvy needed to succeed in a global business environment. Through flexible electives and two fields of study – one in international business and the other in international affairs – the MIB curriculum ensures that students understand how companies operate in the complex context of our globalized society.
The Master of Global Business Administration (GBA) is an online degree program that is in keeping with Fletcher’s commitment to innovation in education. The GBA educate leaders prepared to shape the future by delivering an international business education that fully incorporates international contextual issues. The GBA combines in-depth, graduate-level study in both business and international affairs, delivered through recorded and live online sessions in addition to two immersion experiences. The GBA gives students the flexibility to earn a degree in international business at their own pace and from anywhere in the world.
Through weekly speakers to a yearly symposium, IBGC brings together global business professionals and the Fletcher community to engage in conversations relating to influence policy and decision-making.
Whether it’s 250+ people listening to experts debate the role of BlueTech in the future of the oceans or a group of students and practitioners live-hacking a business case for the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, these events give depth to the world of business and enable students to apply their knowledge in meaningful, real-world contexts. We encourage you to visit the IBGC website or follow the links below to learn more about IBGC events.
While at Fletcher, students have countless opportunities to contribute to real-world projects and research. With support from the institute, this can take a few different forms, including class offerings and other related programming as well as through independent research.
Created in 2013, the Global Research Fellowship provides funding for independent student research across the globe.
In-house coaching, networking events, campus-wide competitions, and Boston’s vibrant innovation scene support a growing entrepreneurial environment at The Fletcher School.
The Global Consulting Program has delivered over 100 successful international projects since 2002 to new and returning clients.
Drawing upon the deep contextual understanding of the Fletcher student body, the Global Research Fellowship (GRF) provides a unique opportunity for students to conduct immersive on-the-ground research across the globe. Current Fletcher students leverage their knowledge, commitment, and creativity to engage in original research and analysis aimed at creating new market insights in emerging and frontier markets across the globe. Created in 2013, students have worked in Indonesia, Kenya, Lebanon, Myanmar, Nunavik, and Turkey to conduct research and analysis to form the basis of reports on the drivers of change in different markets.
The GRF is unparalleled training for a global career in inclusive business:
- Develop Your Intellectual Capital: Students develop a first-hand understanding of key issues, trends, and drivers of change in a frontier market.
- Tap Our Network Power: Connect with IBGC’s network of scholars and practitioners worldwide.
- Solve Problems: Student research lays the groundwork for new approaches to inclusive growth and business through increasing the understanding of new markets for policy makers and practitioners.
- Build a Meaningful Career: A number of our students have turned their original projects into fulfilling careers in the regions and industries which they focused their research.