Florida Tech Partners with Spain’s University of Valencia to Train Future Management Professionals
MELBOURNE, FLA.—The Industrial Organizational (I/O) Psychology program at Florida Institute of Technology recently finalized a collaborative agreement with the University of Valencia in Spain, a European leader in international training. Starting in fall 2012, selected students in the I/O master’s and doctoral programs will spend one semester abroad as part of the program’s increased international emphasis.
Florida Tech students will enroll in courses in the University of Valencia’s Work and Organizational Psychology (WOP) program. The WOP studies at University of Valencia will offer these students knowledge and applied experience as they work with other students and faculty from six universities located in southern Europe. Valencia is the flagship university of the Erasmus Mundus Work and Organizational Psychology program, a collaborative agreement with the University of Barcelona, the Université René Descartes in Paris, Università di Bologna, Italy and the Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal.
“We are excited to partner with a pioneer in international work psychology,” said Richard Griffith, director of the Institute for Cross Cultural Management (ICCM) at Florida Tech. The ICCM is a Florida Tech applied research center dedicated to the study of cultural challenges brought on by increased globalization.
“The Work and Organizational Psychology program at the University of Valencia is world renowned for its rigor of academic preparation. This international collaboration with our nationally ranked program, which is the only internationally focused I/O psychology program in the U.S., strengthens both institutions and will make both UV and Florida Tech students more competitive in the global economy.”
Visiting students from UV will assist in ICCM research at Florida Tech. The ICCM works with its military and corporate clients to provide solutions to challenges that affect daily overseas conduct such as cross-cultural conflict as well as building, maintaining and repairing trust in multicultural work groups. The ICCM also focuses on strategic issues such as expatriation/ repatriation, cross cultural negotiation and global leadership.
Talks between the two universities began when Jose Maria Piero, chair of the University of Valencia WOP program and president of the International Association of Applied Psychology, joined the advisory board of ICCM. Griffith visited UV in the summer of 2011 to work out agreement details and Peiro will visit the Florida Tech campus in August.
