November 29, 2004 (ATLANTA) – Bijan Fazlollahi, professor at the J. Mack Robinson College of Business' Institute of International Business, was bestowed Honorary Citizenship of the former Soviet state of Georgia by Republic of Georgia President, Michael Saakashvilli. Fazlollahi was recognized for his work in business education and longtime service to the country.
In 1998, through a U.S. government grant, Fazlollahi led the Consortium of Georgian Universities (a partnership between the Robinson College of Business, Georgia State University, Tbilisi State University and Georgian Technical University) to establish the Caucasus School of Business in Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia. Through the Consortuim's efforts, the school now offers undergraduate (BBA) and graduate degrees (MBA) in Business Administration, patterned after Robinson's own top-ten, nationally ranked program. The school also offers a management development program and the Businesswomen's Leadership Training Program. Currently, Robinson's finance and marketing departments are assisting the Caucasus School in developing Ph.D. programs.
In a congratulatory letter to Georgia State University President Carl Patton, Kakha Shengelia, dean of the Caucasus School wrote, "The partnership of Georgia State, the Robinson College and the Caucasus School has led to unprecedented educational accomplishments and has made significant contributions to the economic growth of Georgia through the training and development of a new generation of world-class managers and entrepreneurs."
In addition to the Caucasus School, Fazlollahi also led other projects in the region and has taught in Azerbaijan, Georgia, Poland, South Africa and Iran.
Prior to joining Robinson, Fazlollahi was deputy chief of the Iran Port Authority and a member of the Consumer Protection Board of Iran. He also served as a consultant for the Atlanta International Airport and Atlanta Police Department. Fazlollahi has received three Honorary Doctorate degrees in the past several years from universities in Azerbaijan and Georgia.
The J. Mack Robinson College of Business is one of the world's best business schools. The College's Flex (part-time) MBA program has been listed in the top ten by U.S. News for the past nine consecutive years and its undergraduate business program is ranked among the top 50 in the nation. The College's Executive MBA program is ranked among the 50 top programs worldwide by The Financial Times and BusinessWeek magazine ranks it 24th in the world. Georgia State University's Robinson College of Business has an enrollment for more than 8000 students and is located in downtown Atlanta.
