Grandfather of Temple International Business receives CUIBE Service Award
Dr. Arvind Phatak, widely regarded as the Fox School’s “grandfather of International Business,” was honored recently with a Distinguished Service Award from CUIBE, the Consortium for Undergraduate International Business Education.
CUIBE President Mark Ballam recognized Phatak both for his long-standing and outstanding contributions, and fellow CUIBE members spoke of Phatak’s championship of international business education.
CUIBE is an international consortium of schools and universities with undergraduate international business programs. The organization provides its members with opportunities to benchmark their programs against other member schools and share best practices in international business education.
“I’m so happy to have received this award, especially from CUIBE, an organization that is so close to my heart,” Phatak said.
Phatak moved to the United States from India in 1960 to earn his MBA at Temple University. After earning his PhD at UCLA, Phatak returned to Temple, where he built the Fox School’s international business program into one of the university’s most prized assets. He retires this year after 45 years of service.
During his career, Phatak obtained a highly competitive grant from the U.S. Department of Education to establish one of only 33 Centers for International Business Education and Research (CIBER), bringing more than $4 million to the Fox School.
Phatak was instrumental in getting the international business program ranked nationally. U.S. News & World Report ranks Fox’s undergraduate international business program in the Top 10 year after year. It is currently ranked sixth in the country.
He helped launch Fox’s AACSB-accredited Executive MBA (EMBA) program in Colombia, earned a Fulbright Senior Research Fellowship – one of just two awards given to India-based research that year – established an endowed undergraduate student travel fund and authored six books. He plans to continue his seventh after he retires.
Phatak has received numerous honors including recognition as the Laura H. Carnell Professor of Management and International Business, a Distinguished Faculty Award, an MBA Professor of the Year Award, a Musser Award for Excellence in Service and more. He was a pioneer recipient of the Great Teacher Award, the highest honor a professor can receive from Temple, and he regards this as one of his proudest achievements.
Phatak has held multiple critical leadership roles at Temple. He directed the international business program for nearly 20 years, served as executive director of Temple CIBER and Fox’s Institute of Global Management Studies, and chaired Fox’s Strategic Management Department from 1978-1981 and from 1987-1990.
“My interest has always been making the Fox School of Business a global enterprise,” Phatak said.
– Christine Fisher
