Boise State students to explore business development in Puerto Rico

Boise State University has begun taking applications for its prestigious Global Scholar Program.

The program will select eight to 10 Boise State undergraduates interested in economic development and business to travel to Puerto Rico on an alternative spring break to conduct a case study in international market research.

Puerto Rico was chosen, in part, to satisfy the interests of this year's Global Scholar Program partner, the Idaho Bean Commission, which is a state-appointed group of growers, processors and distributors who promote Idaho beans for food and seed. The group hopes the market research conducted by the upcoming class of global scholars will help them open new markets in Puerto Rico, which has a gross domestic product of $101.5 billion as of 2012.

Accordingly, students will focus their market research on agriculture, business development and health in addition to analyzing overall market trends. They will meet with Puerto Rican farmers and exporters and receive introductions to global business topics like foreign currency.

The scholars will prepare for their trip the semester before they go and make a presentation to the bean commission when they return. School official said the application process is rigorous and highly selective.