The Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center   was established in 1991 to expand higher education and business support programs in Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee.  Nine colleges and universities in Virginia and Tennessee now offer some 80 undergraduate and graduate degrees at the Center’s beautiful campus in Abingdon, Virginia.  These degree programs are key to economic development and job creation for the Tri-Cities, VA/TN region. 

To meet the challenges of the global economy, the Center established an international business and education outreach program in 2003.  Area college students and businesses simply must have the necessary international skills in order to compete in the 21^st century.  Initial funding for the Center’s international business programs was provided by the Virginia Tobacco Commission’s Economic Development Fund.  With this support, the Center has been able to assist a number of smaller businesses with the development of new international markets.  This has included traditional exporters of mining equipment plus emerging sectors such as forest products, professional services, and cultural tourism.

Building on this base, the Center applied for and received two large grants from the U.S. Department of Education’s Business and International Education (BIE) program in 2004 and 2007.   The first grant funded the award winning “SW Virginia/NE Tennessee International Business Study in Mexico” program from 2004-2007.  This short-course program developed with our partners at the Tecnologico de Monterrey, Mexico, and key businesses in the Tri-Cities has ‘opened the world” to area college students.  For many of them, this has been their first airplane flight.  A new grant will provide funding to develop a similar program in China for 2008-2009.  Through the BIE program we have also developed a series of outreach seminars for the area business community and a new online introduction to international business course.

Starting in the fall of 2007, the Center will offer a new internship and mentoring program for area college students.  This will be funded by the Virginia Tobacco Commission.  The goal is to give business and other degree-seeking students at the Higher Education Center access to expanded domestic as well as international internship opportunities.  These students are the future business managers and community leaders for the Tri-Cities, TN/VA region. 

International Business and Southwest Virginia/Northeast Tennessee 
            The Tri-Cities region of Bristol, VA/TN and Kingsport - Johnson City, TN, is home to approximately 450,000 people, with another 400,000 residents located in far Southwest Virginia.  The Tri-Cities ranks as the 72^nd largest export center in the United States according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.  The area is home to several large companies including Eastman Chemicals, Bristol Compressors, Strongwell Corp., Alpha Natural Resources, and King Pharmaceuticals.  There are also a number of small and medium-size firms in the region that are active exporters. Chemicals, coal mining, mining equipment, electrical switchgear and air-conditioning equipment are key export sectors.   

The region is also home to an expanding number of forest products exporters of as well as software and engineering services.  Area colleges and universities also attract a number of international students.  Promotion of Southwest Virginia to international tourists and exports of regional crafts are also expanding initiatives.