Winter spoke Nov. 30 at UB at Sunrise, UB's community breakfast series sponsored by the Office of Alumni Relations with support from the Office of University Development, News Services, Office of Publications and the Office of Public Service and Urban Affairs.

"It's ironic, but to a certain extent our reputation is better when we go outside Buffalo," said Winter. "We take some criticism for it, but you can't be a strong business school without being a strong international business school."

UB is building its international ties, and expects soon to reestablish its connection with China, where the university first opened an MBA program in Beijing in 1986. The program was discontinued after the student uprising at Tiananmen Square.

"We want to have a very, very big footprint across the globe and in particular in the exploding Asian economy," Winter said. "We really see a first-mover advantage in Asia. We'd like to jump in there, be the first in Beijing and have the others go elsewhere. It's very much a part of our strategy."

UB also has strong management programs in countries that include Latvia, Hungary and Singapore, and has received an endowment to support the Center for International Leadership.

And why is all this international activity important to the School of Management? Because it's important to UB's students and corporate partners, Winter said.

Twenty-five percent of UB's MBA class is composed of top international students who "we don't make full enough use of," Winter said. "I think we owe it to our students to have an environment where they can study shoulder to shoulder with international students." That relationship, as well as a strong foundation in international business, is becoming increasingly important to business schools as they seek to meet the needs of their corporate partners.

Winter also discussed changes that have occurred in UB's management curriculum since he joined the university in January 1994.

He noted that the school has instituted an executive MBA program that in the last two years has enrolled 56 businesspeople from the area. The school also has developed a management minor that, for example, would allow a language major to prepare for a career in international business.

He noted that UB's MBA program is nationally recognized, ranking among the top 50 of 750 MBA programs in the country. He added that management's undergraduate program is ranked 30th by the Gourman Report.

But the state budget could spell trouble for the School of Management as well as UB, Winter said. "Our competition is well funded....Our business school received 45 percent of the state funds of comparable schools," he said. While the School of Management's budget stands at $6.5 million per year, it should be at the $12 million level.

"UB needs its freedom from SUNY. We are probably the most over-regulated school in the world," Winter said. "We're basically like the old Soviet Union."

But things are about to turn around as a result of the Rethinking SUNY plan, he added.

"Western New York has a lot going for it. I call it the city of great apology, and I think it's time to stop apologizing for itself....I think Buffalo ought to start feeling better about itself and that would benefit the university."