Ira R. Weiss, dean of N.C . State’s Poole College of Management, was elected president of the International Partnership of Business Schools during a meeting held in Madrid, Spain this fall.

“The IPBS is dedicated to the development of a lifelong cross-cultural international community of business and management … by sharing and increasing [the community’s] professional knowledge, skills and understanding through international exchange programs,” Weiss said.

“The IPBS engages students in an international experience through full cultural immersion and business immersion,” Weiss said. “The program promotes globalization through a business curriculum and offers duel degrees at the student’s home institution and at the partner institution.”

Weiss said he became involved in the IPBS when he was the dean of Northeastern University’s College of Business Administration.

“Northeastern was the first U.S . institution to be a part of the IPBS , and I wanted NCSU to engage as well,” Weiss said.

The IPBS allows students to spend a minimum of one and a half years abroad. Students can go abroad and take business courses in the language of the partner institute or their home language, and then they can spend a semester doing an internship in that country.

According to Weiss, traveling to Spain for this meeting was nothing new.

“The meetings are always rotating around to the different schools that are a part of the IPBS ,” Weiss said. Though on this occasion, Weiss was elected president of the entire international program.

Every two years the board of directors elects a president of the organization, and Weiss is the longest standing dean on the board, with 10 years as the dean at Northeastern University and 7 years at N.C . State.

“I have a good understanding of the evolution of this consortium, and I am extremely supportive [of its endeavors],” Weiss said.

Now Weiss will be responsible for setting the organization’s agenda when it meets three times per year, enhancing the offer of an international experience by bringing in more partner universities, and strengthening the core of the organization’s curriculum.

Weiss said this will have a significant impact on State students in a few ways.

“We will have 50 or more international students with us at NCSU [from the IPBS program],” Weiss said. “Even if our students do not go abroad, they will be sitting next to students from all over the world.”

This diversity in the classroom will “allow students to develop a global perspective,” according to Weiss.

Weiss, originally from New York, is now making a global impact at N.C . State. “[I came to State] because the opportunity arose here to take a young college focused on innovation and technology, and bring it into full maturity,” Weiss said. “The opportunity [at N.C . State] felt comfortable and challenging, and it has been.”

Opportunities will only continue to grow for business students seeking a globalized education. But if two years abroad seems frightening, students can still be engaged by interacting with international visitors at N.C . State.