Veritas, Vol. 23, No. 03, October 1982

              Knight Center dedication Octoberl
When officials from the UM and the City of Miami gather Oct. 1 at 400 S.E. 2nd Avenue, they will ceremoniously bring to an end more than a decade of planning and signal the start of a new era of cooperative joint venture.
The dedication ceremonies for the City of Miami/University of Miami James L. Knight International Center will begin at 11 a.m. with music by the University of Miami Band and University Singers. Following remarks by UM President Edward T. Foote II and Miami Mayor Maurice Ferre, James L. Knight will cut a ribbon, formally opening the Center. The public is invited to the dedication and a reception and guided tours of the facility following the ceremony.
Located on the Miami River, the Center has been lauded as being a major building block in the downtown revitalization efforts. The $ 139 million complex is comprised of three elements: the city’s convention center, the University’s conference center and the 615-room Hyatt Regency Miami hotel.
The center will soon get a real workout when the American Association of Travel Agents (ASTA) convenes here mid-month.
Attracting ASTA to Miami was something of a coup and may give Miami a needed shot in the arm in combatting the negative image of the city in newspapers and magazines around the country. Specifically, the convention is expected to draw 12,000 people who will spend an estimated $21 million during their week stay. More importantly, they will take home with them first hand information about South Florida for their tourist clients. Every city that has hosted an ASTA convention has enjoyed a significant increase in tourism and revenue
City of Ai ia m it U ni vers it y of Miami James L. Knight International Center
dollars. A year following ASTA’s convention in Munich, tourism there increased by 21 percent. In New Orleans, tourism jumped by 26 percent after the ASTA convention.
Robert LaPrad, director of conference
services for the UM. said the exposure can have nothing but a positive impact on the University.
“ASTA represents agents in 120 countries. That relationship or contact for the
gets aboostfromtheprivate sector
By Gustavo Pupo-Mayo
A rapidly expanding multinational corporation with offices in Miami is helping the School of Business Administration launch its new International Business and Banking Institute (IBBI).
“R.J. Reynolds Tobacco International Inc., has pledged $50,000 to underwrite IBBI,” announced Interim Business School Dean Carl E.B. McKenry.
Roger Herod, Reynolds’ Director of Personnel for Latin American, said his company is “eager to establish a close working relationship with the School of Business because of its recognized prominence in the preparation of competent international business managers.”
Business School Development Director Linda Steckley explained that Reynolds is particularly interested in developing and training their managerial personnel within the area ofintemational business.
For almost a decade, Reynolds’ parent company, R.J. Reynolds Industries Inc., has been undergoing a transformation from a domestic tobacco company to a more profitable global consumer-goods company earning $11.7 billion in 1981. Today, more than half of the company’s 80,000 employees are located outside the U.S. and approximately one-third of its revenue is generated by its overseas operations.
Yet, in an age when corporate profit ledgers transcend national boundaries, few business schools focus on the multinationals.
“There is a need for additional training of business students and executives in international finance and banking,” says Dr. Robert Grosse, IBBI’s associate director and an assistant professor of international business.
The need for an international business institute became apparent two years ago after the School of Business conducted a survey of local businesses regarding their needs and wants. The resulting emphasis on international business was not surprising considering that South Florida bills itself as the “Gateway to the Americas,” and the City of Coral Gables is home to more than 100
port from the School of Business. IBBI will be a major component of the business school’s Center for Advanced International Studies.
“This is not a teaching institute. There is no degree program,” explains Dr. Kujawa, “The key to IBBI is for faculty to have an opportunity to conduct research on multinational enterprises and international bank-
Participants in Interban ll listen to Nicholas Cross ofUoyds Sank International
multinational corporations. IBBI is also consistent with UM’s long-term goal of becoming a “global university.”
IBBI’s director, Dr. Duane Kujawa, says the Institute’s goal of creating an information structure concerning international business issues has the commitment of UM President Edward T. Foote and strong sup-
ing.
But the benefits will be reaped by the South .Florida business community through the creation of data banks, the publishing of working papers and the development of periodic conferences designed to help international managers.
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University as a host will reflect favorably on the UM,” LaPrad said. “It is an excellent opportunity to publicize the facilities of the University and attract future business for the conference center from corporation and educational groups.
ASTA will be using all of the University’s facilities in the center. Those facilities, operated by the School of Continuing Studies, include six seminar rooms, seven classrooms, reception areas, a 150-seat amphitheater and a 500-seat auditorium. All meeting areas are designed to allow simultaneous translation equipment. State-of-the-art video services are also available.
Jollivette named to vice-presidency
Dr. Cyrus M. Jollivette, executive assistant to UM President Edward T. Foote II, has been named vice president for development affairs, effective immediately.
Upon announcing the appointment, President Foote said, “Having worked closely with Mr. Jollivette for more than a year now, I am among his many admirers, inside and outside the University. Indeed, he is one of the most respected people I know.
“A major research university such as the University of Miami,” he added, “is priceless asset to any community. Especially in these difficult economic times, public understanding and support of the University is of the utmost importance. Mr. Jollivette will be responsible for overseeing this part of our work, from fundraising to communication with our many constituents. ”
Jollivette succeeds Edward G. Coll Jr., who resigned in December 1981 to accept the presidency of Alfred University in Alfred, New York.
John Wm. Thomas, who held the position on an interim basis since January 1982, will continue in his post as associate dean for development at the UM School of Medicine.
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