US ambassador strengthens York/American relations

VISITS to some of York’s top firms by a US ambassador look to cement educational and business links forged by the city.

Buck Buchanan, associate professor of business administration at Defiance College in Ohio, has spent a week in York visiting firms interested in supporting international business students.

The tour, which was organised by York St John Business School, saw delegates visit firms such as The Partners Group, which supports the programme.

Mr Buchanan said he hoped to build on previous cultural visits he has organised to the city and give US students the opportunity to learn about doing business in the UK by getting involved with businesses and learning first hand from entrepreneurs, business start-ups and mature businesses.

“A lot of our students have never seen beyond the state of Ohio, let alone outside the US,” he added.

“York has such a lot to offer in both business and cultural terms, and I think it’s vital that in our increasingly globalised world business students have as much exposure as possible to international commerce.”

Partners Group director Karen Nixon said: “Having input and market insights from international students into some of the global publicity projects we undertake with our partners in the US and elsewhere in the world would add another dimension to these campaigns.

“It’s a very exciting project and we’re looking forward to getting more involved.”