Westmont Takes Int’l Trade to Singapore

Seventeen Westmont students are studying in Singapore for two months as part of Westmont’s new May term in Singapore. “It’s a remarkably fascinating time to be studying international trade and finance and going to Asia in the middle of a looming trade war,” says Paul Bradford, adjunct professor of economics and business, who will teach classes with president Gayle D. Beebe. 

The group will study international trade, finance, and consider what it means to think biblically about corporate responsibility and ethical sourcing in the third largest global financial center. Students will also visit Cambodia, Hong Kong, Manila, and Vietnam to tour cultural and religious sites and various industries.

Before heading to Singapore, the class spent two weeks on campus meeting with the executive teams at Patagonia and Deckers Brands to learn how these companies implement their corporate responsibility programs on a global basis. Students heard from a wide variety of guest speakers, including Tom Nguyen, Westmont trustee and managing director of U.S. sales for China International Capital Corp., and former Congressman David Dreier, chairman of the Annenberg-Dreier Commission at Sunnylands.

In addition to their academic coursework, students will be involved in an internship with the Development Bank of Singapore (the de facto state bank).

“In some respects, our students could not be going to Asia at a better time to discuss the intersection of geopolitics, international trade, and tariff policies,” Bradford says. The new Mayterm learning experience reflects Westmont’s rapidly growing global connections and partnerships.