Gonzaga has had for some time a vibrant international student population. For 50 years, GU has had exchange students from the Far East, Africa, and Central and South America. The ebb and flow of international students is directly linked to economic trends overseas. Only a year ago, the university initiated innovative MBA programs in India and China, with instantaneous success. St. Joseph's also has recently developed cooperative MBA programs with three of China's top universities in Nanjing, Shanghai, and Shenyang, and just signed agreements with two more.
Plans are under way to launch similar programs with another thirteen Chinese universities.
He explained the MBA program at St. Joseph's and discussed the Jesuit mission of faith-based education, social justice, and service to others. Gene Szarek, CR, a theology professor at Loyola University Chicago, reports that his course in Christian marriage is particularly popular among Muslim students, who make up 10 to 20 percent of the class. Conservative Muslims enliven his class discussions by bringing a unique perspective to the topic of arranged marriages, the case for many of their parents or grandparents. There's a sense of caring about the faithful part of students in the context of their own tradition. Nationally, women account for 57 percent of the enrollment at Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States.