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Mississippi College Hosts 4th Annual International Economic Summit


Students representing Costa Rica are trading with Portugal at the International Economic Summit at Mississippi College.

Teams from Costa Rica traded with Portugal, while students representing Russia worked economic deals with their counterparts from Guatemala.

It was all part of the fourth annual International Economic Summit at Mississippi College on December 3. About 200 middle and high school students from Columbus to Greenwood and from metro Jackson to the Gulf Coast traveled to the Clinton campus to advance their business skills.

Structured like a model United Nations, student teams represented 33 countries and returned home with a better understanding of global markets.

Columbus Middle School represented Canada and emerged with top honors at the event at Anderson Hall. Teacher Sylvia Collins coached the Columbus champions.

The teens on hand “proceeded to conduct business as if they were part of the economic development team within each country,” MC business professor Billy Morehead said. “Students participated in exercises of international export and import by establishing trade alliances with teams from other countries.”

In these alliances, students learned to trade one country’s resources, whether oil, natural gas or forestry products with other nations with an ample supply of textiles or manufactured goods. Teams received “rewards” for showing the greatest returns on their investments.

Morehead serves as director of the MC School of Business Center on Economic Education that’s among the chief sponsors of the event along with the Mississippi Council for Economic Education in Jackson. Other sponsors include: the Mississippi Geographic Alliance, Entergy of Mississippi, State Farm Insurance and the College Knowledge Project, an initiative of the state College Board in Jackson.

To get the students ready, teachers received training, lessons plans and materials from the Mississippi Council on Economic Education.

Volunteers from Millsaps College, Mississippi State University, BancorpSouth, Regions and other organizations played a part to make the event a success.

Returning to their schools around the Magnolia State, the students picked up skills making them more informed citizens when it comes to the world’s economy.

“Given the close interaction of nations in our global economy today, we hope these students brought home valuable lessons that will spark more discussions in classrooms across Mississippi,” Morehead said.

Selena Swartzfager, the Mississippi Council for Economic Education president, MCEE board members, and Mississippi College professors welcomed the student visitors who came dressed in the attire of their countries.

The idea for the initial student conference at Mississippi College in 2010 received support from Boise State University’s International Economic Summit Institute.

For more information, contact Selena Swartzfager of the MCEE office at 601.974.1325 or MC business professor Billy Morehead at 601.925.7742.