San Luis Obispo – Cal Poly Graphic Communication professor Ken Macro recently completed a sabbatical in Russia and the Ukraine, teaching at Moscow State University of Printing Arts, St. Petersburg University of Technology and Design and at the Kiev Polytechnic Institute in Ukraine.
 
Macro was accompanied by Regis Delmontagne, formerly CEO of the Washington, D.C.-based Association for Suppliers of Printing, Publishing and Converting Technologies. The two provided an introduction to American philosophy on conducting business in the printing sector (both domestic and abroad), and current trends in management principles and production control methods for print and digitally imaged products to students and faculty at the three universities.
 
Over a six-week span of courses, Macro and Delmontagne covered topics such as: The American Perspective: A Cultural Exchange; Evolution of American Management Theory; American History: A Primer; Management Fundamentals; Marketing Communication Technologies; Marketing Fundamentals; Outlook for the US Printing Industry; Manufacturing Systems: Strategic Planning; Business and Legal Terminology; The Fundamentals of Financial Management and Analysis; Packaging Design and Printing; LEAN Manufacturing; State of the Printing Industry: A Current Analysis; The Rise of India and China; Knowledge Management and the Quest for IT and GenY; The Future of Newspapers; Sustainability and Environmental Initiatives in the US; Conducting Foreign Business; and Future trends in printing technologies.
 
“I met spectacular people and enjoyed the students immensely. I was elated to work with the students and found them exceptionally bright, funny, optimistic, and receptive to new ideas,” Macro said. “It was a remarkable experience – one that I hope to foster into the development of furthered relationships between academic institutions and business opportunities in the graphic communication industry.”
 
The Graphic Communication Department has a long-standing relationship with its counterparts in Russia, said Department Head Harvey Levenson, including collaborative research and publishing, conference participation, faculty visits and related activities.
 
“Professor Macro’s extended visit culminates these collaborations and opens a new phase of international relations for the department,” Levenson said. “The department’s reputations in areas of teaching, research, testing, product evaluations, training, seminars, workshops, conferences and publishing have gained worldwide attention in recent years. Our support is increasingly sought in Asia, Europe and South America.”