MBA students from Wichita State and the FHW Berlin School of Economics in Germany are working together to help entrepreneurial companies with international expansion plans.

Their partnership is part of WSU’s W. Frank Barton School of Business’ Global Workplace MBA Initiative.

The goal is to give U.S. and German MBA students a real-world international work team and intercultural communication experience.

Each school has 15 students participating in the program. Four Berlin and three Wichita entrepreneurial companies are chosen for the students to study.

Through their research, they decide whether they think the companies should go international with their products or services.

This is the fifth year of the program.

In January, WSU’s students went to Berlin and met with their partners.

The Berlin students will now come to Wichita Saturday, March 21. They will continue their discussions, and on Friday, March 27, they will make presentations on their findings to the Wichita companies.

It’s a process the businesses pay close attention to, said Dotty Harpool, director of student and community initiatives in the Barton School.

“These are MBA students, so it’s an opportunity to get some insight,” she said. “The companies do take it seriously.”

Tim Pett, director of the Center for Entrepreneurship at WSU and Barton School management associate professor, is the faculty member who teaches the Management 885 Strategic Management course that includes the international program.