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August 30, 2000

Krannert School embarks on new e-business initiatives

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Businesses today must have an e-strategy. The same can be said of business schools.

Purdue University's Krannert School of Management will receive $250,000 each of the next three years to integrate e-business fully into the curriculum and to serve as a resource in Indiana's high-technology development. Purdue is making the funds available as part of an agreement with IBM, which recently provided a supercomputer to the university.

"We have already introduced an e-business option into our master's degree program," said Robert Plante, associate dean of the Krannert School. "The three-year funding for new e-business initiatives will include support for further curriculum development, research and seed money for an e-business center."

The initiatives are spelled out in a Krannert School proposal to establish a Center for E-Business Education and Research (CEER) that will eventually house endowed professorships, recruit e-commerce practitioners as speakers, promote e-business classes for students, hold an annual e-business conference and sponsor faculty research.

Purdue also will explore distance-learning opportunities and the involvement of the international business and educational sectors.

The proposal calls for an interdisciplinary approach to e-business that involves the schools of engineering, science, and technology and Purdue's research centers, including the internationally recognized Center for Research in Information Assurance and Security.

"As business is now conducted at Internet speed, we must train our graduates to be effective leaders in the art and science of managing in an e-world," said Richard A. Cosier, dean of the Krannert School. "The Center for E-business Education and Research will showcase state-of-the-art business tools and position the university to be prepared for the next generation of high-technology and communication development. This wonderful support from IBM reflects a real team effort at Purdue and IBM."

U.S. News and World Report ranked the Krannert master's degree program 20th nationally, third in operations, 10th in quantitative analysis and 17th in management information systems.

ComputerWorld tapped Krannert as the number seven "techno MBA" program nationally. Additionally, Business Week ranked the Krannert master's degree program 10th nationally in producing graduates with technology skills.

Sources: Robert Plante, (765) 494-4464, bob@mgmt.purdue.edu

Richard A. Cosier, (765) 494-4366, rcosier@mgmt.purdue.edu

Writer: Mike Lillich, (765) 494-2077, mlillich@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

Related Web sites:
Krannert Graduate School of Management e-commerce option


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