It’s not every day that executives from half a world away touch down in Southwest Michigan to sharpen their leadership skills. Yet that’s exactly what’s been happening at Andrews University, where two high-level delegations from Vietnam recently spent time learning how to navigate the fast-moving world of artificial intelligence, corporate governance, and ethical decision-making.
The visits were organized by the university’s Centers for Organizational Resilience and Excellence—known on campus as AUCORE—in partnership with the School of Business Administration. Together, they’re building a reputation for bringing international business leaders to Berrien Springs for fresh thinking on technology, strategy, and ethics.
A Focus on AI—and Its Moral Compass
Leading the charge is Armand Poblete, executive director of AUCORE. His team has been developing programs built on a simple premise: new technology doesn’t mean much without the integrity to use it wisely.
That message drew senior executives from some of Vietnam’s major industries—energy, banking, telecommunications, manufacturing, and pharmaceuticals—for a weeklong seminar exploring the real-world impact of AI. Inside Andrews’ classrooms and labs, faculty guided participants through hands-on simulations that ranged from financial forecasting to immersive VR learning systems. Several attendees said the experience stood out because it blended data-driven tools with values-centered leadership.
Energy Leaders Come for Governance Training
Shortly after that program wrapped up, a second delegation arrived—this one representing Petrolimex, a large energy group in Vietnam. Its board members and division leaders gathered at Andrews for a deep dive into the future of corporate governance, including how boards can harness artificial intelligence without overlooking accountability, transparency, or human judgment.
Their schedule mixed classroom dialogue with strategic workshops, supported by AUCORE’s operations and hospitality staff, who handled everything from travel logistics to on-the-ground coordination.
A Leadership Pipeline That Starts Early
While these international programs draw headlines, Andrews points out that leadership development isn’t only reserved for executives in suits. The university has built a full pipeline—from K-12 initiatives like ThinkerBox and the STEAM X framework, which introduce younger students to robotics and entrepreneurship, to undergraduate and graduate programs that emphasize systems thinking, service, and people-centered management.
At the top end of that pipeline sits AUCORE’s executive training, which is helping position Berrien Springs as an unlikely but effective crossroads for global leadership learning.
A Local Campus With a Global Reach
As industries everywhere race to understand artificial intelligence and digital transformation, Andrews University is finding its niche—proposing that analytics and ethics can coexist, and that meaningful leadership is still built on trust and service. It’s a distinctly Southwest Michigan blend of high-tech exploration and values-based education.
Founded in 1874, Andrews remains the flagship university of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, with a global network of partner institutions. But its recent executive collaborations suggest that local classrooms can have worldwide impact.
