With excursions to New York City and mentoring by graduate students from India, participating students gained invaluable insights and firsthand exposure to Indian business and culture.
During Adelphi’s Intersession term in January 2025, 16 sophomore and junior students enrolled in a course that took their business knowledge beyond the classroom—International Business Course (BUS-341), taught in the Robert B. Willumstad School of Business (WSB). While the course included scheduled classroom Zooms, it was newly expanded to provide a focus on India, with experiential activities and visits—including to the United Nations, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Ganesh Temple, the State Bank of India and a cultural luncheon—in New York City.
Funding provided by the Bhisé Center for Global Understanding helped the students gain a deeper understanding of India’s role in today’s global economy by supporting the class excursions.
As course faculty Pamela Buckle, PhD, MA ’13, professor of management, and Joseph Sheldrick, adjunct professor of decision sciences and marketing, detailed in a comprehensive report on the course, four Adelphi graduate students who hail from India served as cultural liaisons, whose mentoring further enhanced the students’ exposure to both Indian culture as well as corporate culture.
Bridging the Gap
Before graduating from WSB in May with an MS in Supply Chain Management, Disha Thaker, MS ’25, elected to be a cultural liaison in the course, earning a certificate of recognition at Adelphi’s Honors and Awards Ceremony for her service. “I wanted to help bridge the cultural and business understanding between international students and the local business community, particularly in the context of Indian business practices,” she said.
While she especially enjoyed “facilitating open conversations between students and professionals,” she believed the “students’ biggest takeaway was a deeper appreciation for how business is conducted in different cultural contexts and the importance of adaptability and respect in international business.”
Undergraduate student Maduni Witharana Thanthirige noted that while the course is required for her management major, taking it during Intersession allowed her to take advantage of trips to the city. “I learned the importance of situational awareness and the act of knowing what to do in unfamiliar places,” she said. “For example, being quiet and observant at the Ganesh Temple and during discussions about global peace at the UN taught me to respect every culture.”
Gaining Fresh Insights
Reflecting on the experience, Thanthirige adds, “I found that Indian businesses are extremely cultural and rooted in spiritual values. When we went to the Indian restaurant Muna in the city for lunch, I experienced firsthand how hospitality and culture are woven into their business model. The staff greeted us warmly as guests, not just as customers. With Western businesses, the goal seems to be to serve and move on, while Indian businesses are focused on cultural connections.”
Her insight aligns with what cultural liaison Sujal Pereira—who is pursuing a master’s degree in supply chain management—considered the most significant benefit of the course: an appreciation for how cultural context shapes business decisions.
As Pereira explained, “Seeing business practices through an Indian lens helped students understand that success in global markets requires flexibility and open-mindedness. In today’s global economy, students will inevitably work across borders. Understanding cultural differences is essential not only for respectful collaboration, but also for creating effective, inclusive strategies in international business settings.”
Gaining Global Understanding
Honors College senior and business management major Vira Bangaru took the course seeking a global understanding of the business world.
Class excursions, which fostered an understanding of the importance of adaptability, empathy and situational awareness in cross-cultural and professional environments, were especially meaningful to Bangaru. “These lessons will stay with me in any future setting, whether personal or professional.”
For Bangaru, the visit to the State Bank of India highlighted differences between Indian and Western business environments. “Indian business culture blends professionalism with hospitality. There’s also a strong respect for hierarchy and tradition, with senior staff exuding confidence and junior staff showing attentiveness and deference,” she said. “These elements contrast with many Western norms, which often prioritize directness, individualism and flatter hierarchies.”
The “eye-opening” visit to the United Nations, in particular, demonstrated to Bangaru how much respect, structure and clarity matter when people from different parts of the world come together to make decisions. “It was a powerful reminder of the kind of professional I aspire to be.”
Planning for Intersession 2026
WSB will again offer this enhanced International Business course during Intersession 2026. Students who participate will gain the following:
- Fully covered local experiences: All transportation to New York City and activity fees are covered by WSB, typically including five visits.
- Cultural immersion: Work with and learn from Adelphi graduate students from India, serving as cultural liaisons.
- Course flexibility: Reduce your Spring 2026 course load; Intersession tuition can be included in your Spring 2026 tuition amount.
- Convenient format: Online synchronous lectures
- Executive connections: Meet senior Indian business leaders operating in New York City.
- Global perspective: Gain insight into a nation of 1.4 billion people, whose major trading partner is the United States ($131 billion), with a land mass one-third the size of the United States yet four times its population.
“The International Business course is a unique way to learn the course material while participating in a rich, cultural, experiential learning experience,” said Lori Cary, MBA ’20, director for student success at WSB. “Year after year, our students comment on how much they enjoyed the course. The participation of our cultural liaisons is the crowning achievement on why this course is so successful—our students learn so much from them and friendships are born!”