Michael Bustle receives Outstanding Extension Award
Michael Bustle, the Associate Vice Provost of Global Initiatives and Education and Director of the Global Training Initiative, is a 2020 recipient of the Outstanding Extension Award. Bustle’s work within the Office of Global Engagement has been to promote NC State and provide solutions to strategic partners across North Carolina and the world. He has helped the university “Think and Do” on both a local and global scale.
As director of the Global Training Initiative, Michael Bustle has spearheaded the unit’s innovative training programs for various audiences locally and internationally. Under his leadership, the GTI generated more than $4.4 million in revenue from 2015-2020 through its training and grant programs for more than 1,000 professionals and students.
Bustle recognized the need for professional development programs for faculty and other educators from across the world. He also saw a great opportunity for faculty and staff from NC State and other educational institutions across the state to pass along their knowledge and expertise to visiting educators and scholars. The GTI worked to secure contracts and grants to provide training programs for around 200 participants from Argentina, Azerbaijan, China, and Lebanon in the last 5 years alone. Bustle continues to develop more training programs for other countries in Latin America.
Bustle also recognized the importance of utilizing the skills and knowledge of the GTI team to develop engaging and effective cross-cultural training programs for North Carolina businesses and organizations. The team developed a 3-part Global Skills Training Certification program as well as offered customized training sessions for various on-campus and off-campus groups. Since 2016, GTI trainers have trained more than 450 participants in a variety of corporations, elected officials, and nonprofit organizations.
Q: What are the next steps for the GTI in terms of global extension efforts?
A: The program growth in the GTI over the past several years has been phenomenal – not only for our own students and faculty but also our overseas partners and the surrounding community. Global extension to us means helping our constituents around the state become more aware of and better prepared for the world around them.
We are looking to help North Carolina companies engage in international trade by partnering with similar agencies around the state (EDPNC, SBTDC and others) and connecting small and medium enterprises with overseas clients.
We want to support K-12 teachers in the state to get kids excited about learning about and engaging with the world around them. We are looking for ways to partner with communities and organizations across the state to help them prepare for and envision an interconnected world that has a variety of perspectives, styles, and customs.
Q: What does this award mean to you?
A: This award is really appreciated – it is a recognition by thought leaders and societal change makers that what we are doing is significant and transformative. I see it as validation that we are moving in the right direction and really moving the needle on our state’s cross-cultural competency and global competitiveness. I give kudos to the entire GTI team who work tirelessly to ask the important questions, invite all to the table, and look for innovative and practical solutions to the global challenges of our constituents. We are modeling what the 21st-century land grant institution can do to serve our citizens in a global economy.