Dr. George De Feis, D.P.S., Assistant Professor of Business Administration and MBA Program Director at Georgian Court University, recently completed a Fulbright Specialist assignment in Tunisia, partnering with the Université Européenne-Mondiale de Tunis and presenting at the American Corner of the U.S. Embassy in Tunis.
The Fulbright Specialist Program places U.S. faculty and professionals at institutions around the world for short-term, high-impact academic collaborations. Selected through a competitive national review process, specialists work with host institutions to strengthen curriculum, advance scholarship, and build international partnerships. Dr. De Feis’s three-year award began in December 2023 and includes one overseas assignment.
Advancing Business Education in a Global Marketplace
From late December 2025 through mid-January 2026, Dr. De Feis delivered two online graduate-level courses, one in leadership and one in project management, for students in Tunis. Both were recorded and retained by the university as long-term instructional resources.
Beyond formal coursework, he met with students to discuss career strategy, innovation, and leading through uncertainty in competitive global markets. These conversations often centered on how emerging professionals position themselves amid rapid economic and technological change.
He also participated in a university-hosted conference on strategic alliances, drawing on his doctoral research to examine how partnerships succeed when aligned around sustainability, cohesion, and shared purpose.
To conclude his visit, Dr. De Feis led an in-person workshop titled “Leadership and Innovation in Business” at the American Corner Tunis in collaboration with the U.S. Embassy. The session explored entrepreneurial strategy and cross-cultural leadership through global case studies, challenging participants to consider how local enterprises can compete and lead in interconnected economies.
Leadership as Cultural Exchange
While his assignment focused on academic collaboration, the experience extended beyond the classroom. Engaging with students and faculty in a country shaped by centuries of Mediterranean trade and cultural exchange offered a real-time illustration of how global markets and cultural identity intersect.
“I’ve always believed that international teaching is as much about learning as it is about sharing,” Dr. De Feis said. “Every culture expands your understanding of leadership and humanity.”
Through structured sessions and informal dialogue, he gained perspective on the ambitions and pressures facing Tunisian students preparing to enter a complex global workforce—insight that, he noted, reinforces the universal importance of adaptability, resilience, and ethical leadership.
Bringing Global Insight Back to Georgian Court
Since joining Georgian Court in September 2025, Dr. De Feis has emphasized experiential learning and ethical leadership within the MBA program. His Fulbright experience informs that work by bringing firsthand international context into classroom discussions on strategy, innovation, and decision-making.
The principles guiding his Fulbright service—collaboration, mutual understanding, and education as a bridge between cultures—closely align with Georgian Court’s Mercy core values of respect, integrity, justice, compassion, and service.
“At Georgian Court, we prepare students to lead with purpose,” he said.
Drawing on decades of experience in entrepreneurship, consulting, and higher education leadership, Dr. De Feis encourages students to approach their professional journeys with resilience and persistence.
“No one can ever take away your education,” he said. “Your Georgian Court degree stays with you for life.”
Through his Fulbright Specialist service, Dr. De Feis strengthened business education abroad while deepening the global perspective he now brings back to Georgian Court—ensuring students learn to lead not only with skill, but with cultural awareness and purpose.
