GW-CIBER’s International Business Bootcamp is a co-curricular program designed for select GW students who are interested in expanding their knowledge of and practical skills in global business and trade. This multifaceted co-curricular program involves a nine-week deep dive into learning about the mechanics of international trade through four main domain areas – Global Business Management, Global Marketing, Supply Chain Management, and Trade Finance. These domain areas are the core of the top international business professional certification, known as the Certified Global Business Professional (CGBP), which is offered by NASBITE International, the leading U.S. organization supporting the training and education in the field of global business. The Bootcamp is a complement to traditional courses in international business, international trade, international economics, and related areas, by teaching the practical aspects not widely covered in this coursework.

The main components of GW-CIBER’s International Business Bootcamp are:

• Interactive sessions with experts in different sectors within international trade.
• A live export-strategy development project with a real client company.
• Participation in NASBITE’s CGBP Student Pathway Program.
• An opportunity for students to earn NASBITE’s CGBP credential by taking the associated exam after the completion of the Bootcamp.

The 2020 Bootcamp (offered virtually) featured guest presentations by international trade experts working in the areas of logistics, international trade finance, government commercial relations, etc. They came from companies and organizations such as TradeMoves, LLC; International Trade Administration; Export Consulting Services, LLC; EXIM Bank, the U.S. Small Business Administration, and others. The participating students worked on three engaging real-client projects provided by the American Frozen Foods Institute (investigation of global market entry opportunities), the Association for Manufacturing Technology (research into post-pandemic changes of automotive and auto parts manufacturing supply chains), and Elgin Industries/Elgin World Trade (research into USMCA rules of origin for auto parts and the auto industry).