COBA Professors Obtain Coveted "Certified Global Business Professional" Credentialing
By: Kenneth Mullinax/ASU
Two Alabama State University faculty members within the Percy J. Vaughn, Jr., College of Business Administration (COBA) have obtained certification that places them among a prestigious group of higher education professors.
Dr. Mahdi Bajestani and Dr.
"This is an important industry-level certification that is proof of their expertise in global trade finance, global supply-chain management, global marketing and global management, and it will allow them to collaborate with Alabama's Department of Commerce to help state businesses increase their exports to foreign businesses and nations," Hingorani said. "Only three other COBA faculty members have obtained this important designation and that was in 2009, when myself, Dr, Bob McNeal, and Mr. Karl Strother were awarded it."
TWO NEW FACULTY MEMBERS REACT
Both of the newly certified COBA faculty members agreed that the award is a game-changer for faculty members involved in the arena of global business.
Dr. Liu, a relatively new assistant professor of management who is a native of Hanzhong, Shanxi Province, in the People's Republic of China, believes the certification will help him be a better educator for his students.
"This certification denotes a great success for me regarding an area that is out of my major field, and it allows me to build confidence regarding international business and international trade. While I learned basic knowledge of international business in college, I now know where I can get related information for international trade if it is needed in the future," said Liu. "It will allow me to also give added value to our students because this certificate allows me more insight so I may help students to be more competitive in the international job market and to be eligible for more job positions."
Dr. Bajestani, who joined COBA's faculty as an assistant professor of Management in August 2021, is a native of Mashhad, Iran.
"Winning this designation was a great feeling of achievement after working hard to earn it. This certificate is extremely significant to me since international business is my expertise, which I have been studying, teaching, and conducting research in for many years," Bajestani stated. "This field and now all these experiences are complemented with the prestigious certification.”
Bajestani explained that since his career revolves around international business, this designation will open new doors to opportunities for professional development.
"The additional knowledge that I gained through studying for this exam will be a great
source of information to be incorporated into the content of the courses, which I
teach at Alabama State University," he explained. "This will be especially useful
for the students in my international business class."
CERTIFICATIONS SUPPORTED BY DOE GRANT
Dean Hingorani stated that the coveted certification is supported by a business and international education grant from the U.S. Department of Education, which will ultimately help both faculty and students at ASU.
"Not only has this award recently lifted up our two COBA professors, but we have committed that over 15 ASU students will earn this credential in the near future through our sponsorship and counseling, which will lift them up in academic prestige and make them more employable upon their graduation from the University." Hingorani said with a smile.
News media contact: Kenneth Mullinax, 334-229-4104.
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