Shinta Shintawati • Associate Director for Global Education and Outreach, Russell Palmer Career Management Center, Eli Broad College of Business 

Shinta Shintawati works closely with international students to develop their global career strategies and leads global corporate relationship development to broaden MSU’s engagement opportunities. Shintawati’s commitment to the international student experience is a true model for the Special Recognition Award for Promoting International Understanding. 

Shintawati has hosted students from multiple degree programs on a trek through Asia to meet with employers, with many participants receiving job offers as a result. She also conceived of the Palmer Career Center’s Ambassador Program, where international students help further understanding of the international student experience across campus. Additionally, she leads the development of new and existing corporate relationships by implementing various types of outreach strategies to broaden MSU’s global corporate engagement opportunities across various industries and continents. 

Before joining the Palmer Career services team, Shintawati worked as an assistant director for the M.S. in Accounting Program at MSU, partnering with international schools to recruit exceptional students for the program, as well as serving as an adviser, and coordinator of the mentorship program and the Master of Accounting Preparation Programs. She earned a master's degree from the University of Northern Iowa.

—An interview with Shinta Shintawati—

What led you to Michigan State University? 

I was hired as the assistant director for the M.S. in Accounting Program in 2012. It is one of the top accounting programs in the nation, going beyond traditional experiences with a diverse and dynamic environment. In addition, the program provides various resources and learning opportunities that set students apart. Our chairperson, faculty, and program administrators were committed to providing best-in-class services for our students and the commitment to student success attracted me to join the program.

What inspires your work to promote understanding of international student experiences?

Having studied, lived and worked in several countries; these experiences provided me with different perspectives, empathy, and sensitivity to the issues and challenges international students face. Cultural and social differences and language barriers, to name a few, are common challenges international students face—and often, international students experience additional hurdles when it comes to the job search. Uncertainty over visa processing alone can create anxiety coupled with finding international friendly employers and developing networking skills can be overwhelming. 

What long-term impacts do you hope this work has?

International students enrich the learning environment for all students and bring a global perspective that adds to the diversity of the campus and community. Framing our work from a DEI lens, it is important that we are committed to providing equitable access to resources where every international student engages in meaningful experiences that can help them pursue lifelong career success. To better serve our international students, we must know them—understand their backgrounds, needs, and challenges. It is critical to think more holistically about what types of services to offer to enhance the entire international student experience in various stages of their career development.

What impact do you hope the programs or events you lead have in the MSU community? 

I hope to help international students get a solid start on their career journey through a variety of career education and programming activities that are specifically designed for them. Our programs provide students with countless opportunities to network with reputable companies worldwide and gain insights into the organization, recruiting process, and types of opportunities while they are in the program. Students have countless opportunities to network with Global Fortune 500 companies and are hired by top industries worldwide.

For MSU’s global partners, I hope to provide a more targeted recruiting strategy and the opportunity to speak with our talented students interested in learning about their organization and promote their openings. These types of networking events can serve as an excellent recruiting tool for employers because they are an efficient and cost-effective way for them to connect with our high-achieving students, build their brand presence among MSU students, and help promote their internship and full-time openings.

Can you tell us about the Global Student Ambassador Program?

The Global Student Ambassador Program is designed to help create awareness around ongoing global initiatives and make our global career events and programming more visible at Broad. Student ambassadors will play an integral part in driving student engagement as well as providing student perspective and input into projects and programs. The program will also provide Broad students the opportunity to foster connection and a sense of belonging among students as well as develop their leadership and professional development skills while providing support and mentoring services to Broad students.

Why is internationalizing the career space important to you?

At the Russell Palmer Career Center, our goal is to guide and support Broad students in pursuing meaningful and impactful careers by providing career support on various aspects of career development—through career advising, career programming and customized events. In addition, to facilitate international students’ unique job search and career needs, we also focus on cultivating employment opportunities in the U.S., their home country, and globally to expand their pool of opportunities. As one of the leaders in global business education, we hope that international students are equipped with various tools and resources to help build and launch a successful career on a global scale.

In what ways has MSU made an impact on your role as a Global Spartan?

I am grateful to our Broad College and MSU leadership teams, employers, alumni, students, and partners across the MSU community. They have created and engaged in the uniquely MSU experience that drives meaningful outcomes, through world-class curriculum, global engagements and initiatives, professional development and networking activities. MSU has a strong legacy of global engagements—no matter where we go, we can always find an MSU connection. 

To me, being a Global Spartan means having: the ability to demonstrate global, cultural, and intellectual curiosity and to embrace diverse perspectives; an agile, growth-oriented mindset; an ability to overcome challenges and make the business happen; and the determination to make a meaningful impact.

Nominated by: Marla McGraw, Director of Career Management, Russell Palmer Career Management Center

The Special Recognition Award for Promoting International Understanding recognizes MSU faculty and staff who have contributed to internationalizing the campus and MSU programs globally, but who do not meet the criteria for other International Awards. The award is presented as warranted and is not necessarily given every year.