On Wednesday, June 7, 2006, President and Mrs. Brian M. Barefoot ’66, P’01, along with the Babson Alumni Club of London, hosted a cocktail reception at the Royal Automobile Club in the Pall Mall Club House, in London. President Barefoot addressed more than 50 alumni, parents, and friends of the college, including Richard J. Snyder ’60, H’94, P’93 ’01, chairman of the Babson Board of Overseers, Marilyn Snyder, deputy director of Babson’s William F. Glavin Center for Global Management, Babson Board of Trustees member William J. and Elsie Burrill P’04 ’04 ’06, and the board of the London Alumni Club. President Barefoot updated the group on the state of the college, including last year’s highlights, Babson’s plan for extending its international network, and its long-term strategic plan.

President Barefoot began the evening by thanking those in attendance as well as highlighting the many accolades Babson has received this past year. For the first time Financial Times ranked Babson College #1 in entrepreneurship in the world and, for the 13th straight year, U.S. News & World Report ranked Babson #1 in entrepreneurship in the United States. He also announced Christian Dambolena ’03 as a recent recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship, only the second student in Babson’s history to achieve that honor. President Barefoot also noted that for the second year in a row, the Princeton Review has named Babson the #1 graduate school in the country for providing the greatest opportunity for women. As he stated, “Our Center of Women’s Leadership, which celebrated its five-year anniversary in the fall, has been at the forefront of developing innovative programs for women.”

In discussing the globalization of Babson, President Barefoot spoke first of expanding the network and connections outside the school and then of the increasing internationalization of the present student body. He talked about Babson’s current and future ties to the business school at Tsinghua University, the premier Chinese university, as well as mentioning the new strategic partnerships with the University of Ulster, EM Lyon University in France, and Pearl Global in India. In addition to the school’s partnerships around the world, Babson has seen an increased interest in programs on campus, which provide students with international experiences, including international consulting projects, offshore electives (to India, Chile, France/Spain, Russia, Brazil, and China), and the Global Management MBA concentration. Finally, President Barefoot highlighted “one of the many examples of strong student interest in international volunteer projects to help the disadvantaged” by mentioning the team of both Babson graduate and undergraduate students who visited Sri Lanka in January to help rebuild businesses and teach business skills following the devastating tsunami.

President Barefoot also discussed the exploration of a new source of revenue by making available the innovative content of the school’s courses and faculty research using technology and e-learning. Based on the strong interest of distance learning (as the demand for the latest MBA Fast Track offering has demonstrated), companies and students may begin purchasing this content as a stand-alone experience and offering. He then discussed the next steps being taken in re-engaging the Babson alumni through a “digital communications road map,” which is expected to dramatically improve the Babson Web experience. There is a plan to provide digital clips from guest speakers who visit campus, as well as build online communities through such services as discussion boards, current faculty lecture access, job postings, and other user-generated content. Overall, the school is looking for ways for those affiliated with Babson to use the established knowledge online and remain close to the community.

This event was a wonderful opportunity for local alumni in the London area to reconnect and reflect on the current advancements of Babson College. The event owes a special thanks to the London Alumni club; especially to Lena Romanova ’02, who was instrumental in its organization and dinner afterward. Thank you, also, to Sean Rudd ’04, who helped with event organization and invitation distribution. The event was sponsored by the William F. Glavin Center for Global Management, which continues to lead Babson’s international initiatives and contributes to the advancement of global management education. For more information about the Glavin Center visit: www.babson.edu/glavin.

Invitations to this event were sent by mail and e-mail. If you are a Babson alumnus living in the United Kingdom and did not receive this information, please update your information in the Babson College Alumni Directory, so we can contact you for future events.