About Us

The Notre Dame Council on International Business Development (NDCIBD) was founded in 1989 under the inspiration of Rev. Theodore Hesburgh in collaboration with the current benefactor, Mr. Frank Potenziani. In 2000, the NDCIBD changed its name to the Student International Business Council (SIBC). The group has grown from a small activity within the business college to one of the largest student organizations on the campus, including over 275 members for the 2001-2002 school year. While the mission has remained consistent, the project base has grown to include approximately 30 academic projects each semester, as well as sponsoring between 30 to 40 international interns and teachers annually. Students are elected annually to a fifteen member Board of Directors. Students of the University of Notre Dame and St. Mary's College are active members.

The Board of Directors includes an Executive Board and seven different divisions, which include Accounting, Business Consulting, Finance, Global Development, Human Resources, Internships, and Marketing.

The SIBC encourages students from all majors and interests to become active members of the organization with the hope of bringing a variety of different perspectives to issues regarding international business and economics.

  • Notre Dame—One of the finest universities in the world, the University of Notre Dame is highly respected for its academics and moral foundation. Given this reputation, the University has served as the perfect incubator for the Council, sending its members into the world equipped with the personal abilities and appreciation for proper human relationships needed to make a positive impact.
  • International—Early on, students recognized the imperativeness of having not only more academic exposure to international topics, but also real life experiences worldwide. The enthnocentricity of being parochial parochial Americans (whether conscious or not) had to give way to a more humble pride which caused students to demand an evolution in their undergraduate educations.
  • Business—“Peace through commerce” has been an underlying belief and driving force of the Council since Day One. Why commerce? Because it encompasses every facet of life and relationships, it is blind to boundaries and physical differences, and in its best form it seeks to enhance life and living. Business it not just Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business, it necessarily includes every field of study. Business is not just American; it necessarily includes all peoples of all nations.
  • Council—Not an ordinary student club, but rather, a council of hundreds of students organized in a businesslike, yet highly entrepreneurial hierarchy. This perfect blend of formality and flexibility allows that Council’s positive impact on the world to be all the more significant.