Club informs students of global markets

After taking BUS-G255: Emerging Economies, junior Calvin Dong decided to take the class one step further by creating the Emerging Markets Club.

Dong, a finance and accounting major and president of the club, took G255 during spring 2008. The class focused on countries with developing economies and led students on a spring break trip to one of four countries. Dong traveled to China, and when he returned, he and several classmates decided to start the club.

“It’s really interesting to learn about countries that are going to have a big effect on everyone’s lives,” said Stephanie Raab, interim vice president of marketing.

Dong spent about two months planning and organizing the club. He then registered the club with the Office of Student Organizations & Leadership Development and applied to gain club status within the Kelley School of Business.

The associate dean and the undergraduate chair of Kelley attended the club’s first call-out meeting in September 2008.

The club has 242 members as well as several different committees that appeal to students’ interests, including the marketing, strategic and finance committees.

In addition to committees, the club also produces a publication, the Emerging Markets Journal, which features student-written articles about economic news in countries with developing economies.

The Emerging Markets Alumni Connection, a program that pairs club members studying abroad with IU alumni working in that specific area, is one of the club’s other initiatives.

“Alumni will actually provide a mentorship,” Dong said.

He said the alumni are “really excited about giving back to the school and students.”
More than 50 percent of invited alumni responded to the program. The participating alumni range from CEOs to middle managers, Dong said.

EMC students are paired with alumni based on their area of interest and location of their overseas studies.

According to the EMC’s Web site, more than 80 students and alumni are currently participating.    

The EMC also gives students other opportunities to develop their future career prospects.

Timothy Bowker, vice president of strategy for the club, is in charge of planning events for its members. Events include interview workshops and presentations by professors and company representatives.

The club also tries to reward the 40 to 60 highly active members for their participation and involvement by providing networking opportunities specifically for them, Dong said.
In the future, the club hopes to begin a case competition where EMC members are presented with an international business issue and compete with one other to find the best solution.

The club has faced several challenges, though.

Bowker said logistics are his greatest challenge. As the club deals with overseas markets, most of the corporate people he would like to invite are overseas. He adds that there is no specific expert who can give advice on emerging economies.

This semester, the club also faced an organizational challenge: All of the vice presidents are currently studying abroad.

Dong admits it is difficult, but the club planned ahead and added people to work with last semester’s vice presidents to prepare, he said. 

Despite the challenges, the vice presidents agree that the club is something special.
Bowker likes that emerging markets are “something you’re not really exposed to in classes,” he said.

Loren Steinfeldt, editor of the Emerging Markets Journal, said the events are very relevant to students.

The main priority of the club is to educate students on different opportunities to help them succeed in emerging markets.

“Our club is really kind of working hard to help students out,” Dong said.