The conference, founded and organized by UOG Economics Professor Dr. Maria Claret M. Ruane, provided students with real-world, international experience that enhances both their academic and professional development.

ICBEIT brought together 69 participants from 32 different universities, including UOG, and 44 research presentations during the two-day event.

“Our students did some work in the field of research with the assistance of our faculty,” said School of Business and Public Administration Dean Dr. Roseann Jones. “They were able to present in front of an international faculty group, and then take questions, giving them confidence and experience that will serve them in their future careers.”

University of Guam representatives presented research on topics including sustainable finance, artificial intelligence, health misinformation, and building a leadership pipeline in Guam’s information and communication technology sector.

Developing Guam’s Future Workforce

The conference was not just about academics. Professionals discussed challenges and trends in their industries, offering students insights that extended beyond classroom learning.

“It just builds so many professional connections, international connections,” Jones said. “It gives students a leg up on how to advance their own professional development. For our seasoned faculty, the students are absolutely inspiring and reaffirm our mission to prepare the next generation of Guam’s professional workforce.”

UOG alumnus James Robinson, who graduated from the PMBA program last year, described the experience as “an opportunity to network with some of the brightest minds in their respective fields.”

“The research and ideas that were presented at the conference were either new to me or provided a greater understanding of how I could apply it in my professional career,” he said. “My greatest takeaway from the conference was from a presentation on stakeholder collaboration and leadership pipeline.”

In addition to presenting, graduating seniors Denzyl Mariei Ngiralmau and Keana Daudelil Mesubed also helped organize, set up, and deliver the conference. This hands-on experience in event planning and coordination builds practical skills in leadership, communication, and logistics — all vital to their career readiness.

“They get to understand the back end of that, all the planning and the budgeting and the delivery,” Jones said. “It’s a lot of work.”

Building Public Value Through Global Partnerships

By observing professors and industry professionals from different countries and cultures interacting in informal settings, students learned valuable social and professional skills for international business.

“Students only typically see faculty in their role as adviser or instructor or researcher, not necessarily engaging with other researchers, exploring learning and new ideas,” Jones said. Meals and walking tours “get us out of the context of the conference and allow students to learn how to professionally engage, collaborate, and network with scholars and peers from around the world.”

Ruane noted that the conference is an example of careful budget management. All expenses were covered through registration fees, demonstrating UOG’s commitment to delivering efficient, high-impact opportunities for conference participants that include students and faculty members from UOG and 31 other universities.

Jones also emphasized the importance of hosting the event overseas in attracting attention to Guam.

“They see the island and what we do here, and they learn about us. Because the University of Guam is here, it opens up awareness for others to get to know Guam a little bit more,” she said. “This kind of international exposure strengthens Guam’s presence in the global academic community and opens doors to future partnerships, exchanges, and investment in our island’s growth.”

A Tradition of International Collaboration

Ruane said the conference was founded on the simple idea that “there is so much we can learn from each other. All we need to do is to create the opportunity to come together, engage in meaningful discussions, share our ideas, make connections, learn from each other's different cultural backgrounds and academic disciplines, and in the process, build friendship, enjoy each other's company, establish a group of scholars who encourage, support and rejoice in each other's contribution.”

The conference, held on March 22 and 23, was a collaboration with Osaka Metropolitan University–Graduate School of Business. Other sponsors included the Society of Economics at the Osaka Prefecture University–Graduate School of Economics, the Omicron Delta Epsilon International Honor Society for Economics at UOG, and the Society of Management at Nanzan University in Nagoya, Japan.

In previous years, the conference was held in Guam, Seoul, Hanoi, Nagoya, Ho Chi Minh City, Cairns, Taipei, Osaka, Singapore, Okinawa, and Tokyo. During the pandemic, it was held on Zoom.

UOG Faculty Demonstrate Commitment

ICBEIT 2025 served as a valuable platform for regional collaboration and academic exchange, while also advancing scholarship and professional development for UOG faculty, students, and alumni. Underscoring their dedication to academic excellence, UOG faculty members volunteered their time over two full days of Spring Break to actively participate in the conference — serving as presenters, research mentors, session chairs, and on-site coordinators.

The full conference program is available at: https://url.uog.edu/ICBEIT2025-Program

Download Conference Program