Duke's research centers are vital links between academic inquiry and business practice. Each center is dedicated to deepening knowledge and improving business practices with a focus on a particular dimension of business. The centers draw on faculty from across Fuqua's academic areas, experienced practitioners, and students to address current business problems with rigorous research.
Through academic inquiry and engagement with business, these hubs of research create insights, dialog and curricula that change the course of business and enrich the Duke student experience.
The Fuqua/Coach K Center of Leadership & Ethics (COLE)
The Fuqua/Coach K Center on Leadership & Ethics (COLE) was established in January 2004 by The Fuqua School of Business in partnership with Duke University’s Kenan Institute for Ethics and Duke University. Through this dynamic partnership, the center leverages the intellectual resources and practical experiences of leading academic and practitioner institutions to respond to today’s need for ethical leaders and their leadership development.
COLE’s mission is advance leadership and business ethics through research and education, and to deepen and extend the way students, academics, and practitioners think about and practice business leadership and ethics in the 21st century. From supporting rigorous research to developing a leadership and ethics concentration for MBA students, developing a cadre of leadership fellows, offering cutting edge executive education courses and hosting the annual Fuqua School of Business & Coach K Leadership Conference (one of COLE’s flagship programs for executive leadership development), the center is at the forefront of leadership and ethics education and research.
Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship (CASE)
The Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship (CASE) is a research and education center dedicated to promoting the entrepreneurial pursuit of social impact through the thoughtful adaptation of business expertise. A recognized leader in the field of social entrepreneurship, CASE provides individuals and organizations with the knowledge and skills they require to address social needs effectively. Since CASE was founded at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business in 2002, student initiative has been integral to its growth and success. Students spearhead new activities, identify and invite guest speakers to campus, provide input on course and program development, engage in the community, interact with prospective students, and help develop networks of Duke MBAs and alumni interested in using their business skills for social purposes.
The Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER)
The Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER) receives funding from the U.S. Department of Education under Title VI, Part B of the Higher Education Act of 1965. Duke CIBER is one of 31 CIBERs located at major universities throughout the United States. Each CIBER institution has its own strengths. The CIBERs work together to leverage our strengths, resources, and know-how to make a greater impact.
Professor Yair Aharoni founded Duke CIBER in 1992. The current CIBER Director and Principal Investigator is Professor Arie Y. Lewin, who has led the Center from 1996 until the present day with a staff of nine people. We at Duke CIBER align our strategic goals and missions with that of Duke University, The Fuqua School of Business, and the U.S. Department of Education. We are a cross-disciplinary research center developing and engaging in programs that promote international business research and education, as well as global competitiveness.
These programs are impactful and benefit students, faculty, businesses, government entities, and K-12 constituents. Our programs include:
- specialized international electives that increase students' international skills and knowledge
- innovative research on topics that promote global business competitiveness
- programs that incorporate business and language for students and faculty
- faculty and doctoral development opportunities in international business
- programs that connect government entities and non-profits with the communities that they serve
- programs that serve as national and regional resources in outreach activities to the K-12, historically black colleges and universitites, and business community
Center of Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CEI)
Fuqua's Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation is committed to creating an outstanding student experience for aspiring entrepreneurs. Through a combination of both academic and extra-curricular activities, the Center fosters an environment that encourages entrepreneurial thinking. On the academic side, the Center provides a Concentration in Entrepreneurship and Innovation that any student may complete, as well as the recently created Program for Entrepreneurs, a special program where eight students a yearwork on starting their own companies while completing a set sequence of courses. On the extra-curricular side, the Center helps support the Duke Global Entrepreneurship Network (DukeGEN), the Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital Club (EVCC), the Duke Start-Up Challenge, the Duke Entrepreneurship Education Series, and the Startup Matchmaker service, among other initiatives. Learn more by contacting Howie Rhee at hwr2@duke.edu.
Corporate Sustainability Initiative (CSI)
Businesses depend on reliable access to natural resources and functioning ecosystems to survive, grow, and flourish. As populations and consumption rise globally, increasing strains on the environment are creating new risks and opportunities for business, and are moving corporate sustainability to the center of the business agenda. Businesses that recognize the growing strategic importance of sustainability can reduce their risks, create value through new products and business models, develop new strategic partnerships, and ultimately gain competitive advantage in the marketplace. In a world of volatile climate, carbon markets, stressed water resources and ecosystems, a revolution in energy, and a global public engaged in environmental challenges, leading firms are embedding sustainability as a core capability of their business.
The Corporate Sustainability Initiative (CSI) brings together leading scholars, students, stakeholders, and practitioners from Duke University and beyond to create the next generation of sustainable enterprises and business leaders. Sustainable businesses deliver new value by simultaneously creating profitable enterprises, reducing negative environmental and social impacts, and offering innovative solutions to emerging environmental challenges. CSI has 2 primary objectives: first, it aspires to develop the theory and practice of corporate sustainability through rigorous research and field testing, drawing from the rich inter-disciplinary resources of Duke University, collaborating with government, private and civil sectors, and implementing new approaches across a variety of enterprises. A second priority is to educate business professionals who link business and sustainability imperatives to create the sustainable enterprises of the future.
The Corporate Sustainability Initiative is a joint venture between Duke's Nicholas School of Environment, Fuqua School of Business, and the Nicholas Institute of Environmental Policy Solutions. We invite participants from all sectors to join us in this initiative to co-develop the rules and pathways to a truly sustainable economy.
Center for Finance
The Center for Finance supports excellence in financial research and education at Duke, with particular emphasis on strengthening relationships between faculty, students, and finance professionals.
Health Sector Management (HSM)
The Health Sector Management (HSM) Program at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business is ranked among the top health industry business school concentrations in the country. Evolved from Duke’s former Masters of Hospital Administration degree program, the HSM Program enrolls approximately 20% of The Duke MBA daytime students at a school consistently ranked in the top tier of business schools in the country and around the world. The appeal and strength of this program arises from its commitment to immersing students in multidisciplinary learning opportunities inside and outside of the classroom, drawing on Duke’s vast resources in the health care industries. Faculty, advisors, guest lecturers, executives-in-residence, and real world projects are all readily accessible to students, drawing from industry ties in the Research Triangle Park, ranging from GlaxoSmithKline to IBM, Quintiles to Trimeris and Duke connections. Students take a variety of required and elective classes designed to give them a strong understanding of health care market fundamentals and exposure to the complex interactions among the multiple and varied industry players, frequently from those players own perspectives.
Industry participation is a cornerstone of the program’s success in training students, and of their success in the industry. HSM students interact with senior executives on the Health Sector Advisory Council who are on campus semi-annually for open dialogue to provide insights and resources to build an expanded curriculum and opportunities for the students. Recruiters search the HSM resume database each year, visit the campus for “lunch & learns” and “Cases around the Keg.” Students make annual trips to the West Coast, Mid-West, and North-East ~ Boston, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania to meet with recruiters at their offices. Students are actively involved in the Health Care Club and lead the annual conference on health care topics with guidance and support from HSM faculty and staff. HSM students have been on winning teams for the last three years for the annual Duke Start-Up Challenge which now has an arm of the competition exclusively for the life sciences.
International Center
The International Center builds the global reach of all daytime MBA students, not just international students, through the following initiatives:
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International Courses: Global Academic Travel Experience (GATE), Clobal Consulting Practicum (GCP), Curricular Practical Training (CPT), and Working Languages (400+ participants).
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International Programs: Exchange (30+ programs in 20+ countries with 100+ participants).
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International Workshops: Curricular Practical Training (CPT), Optional Practical Training (OPT), U.S. Taxes, etc. (150+ participants).
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International On-Campus Activities: Professional and social events (entire Fuqua community).