Enhancing Global Business
Enhancing Florida's International Business Infrastructure (EFIBI)
EFIBI is a competitive, multidisciplinary small-grants program that helps fill gaps in funding opportunities for IB education and training innovation in Florida. Opportunities for international business programs vary considerably across the state's 11 public universities, 28 community colleges, and 61 private colleges; larger or endowed institutions may provide more support for IB, so EFIBI funding from UF-CIBER can provide the necessary support for faculty initiatives at smaller schools.
Faculty submit two-page proposals and simplified budgets, while an EFIBI Advisory Group of business, social-science and foreign-language faculty from the state's smaller colleges and community colleges assists in disseminating grant information and overseeing program implementation. Spanning the state from Pensacola to Miami, both public and private institutions were represented in the 2008 awards. Funded projects ranged from adding basic IB courses to the curriculum to adding unique opportunities, such as a symposium on international economics and the environment, highlighted below.
Connecting to a Global Green Economy Symposium
An EFIBI grant from UF-CIBER helped fund this symposium, presented by the Indian River State College Business and Technology Incubator. The symposium covered topics including renewable energy, chemical and waste management, sustainable building and construction, and international green careers.
