Massachusetts State Executive Speaks to Students

In January, the School welcomed Mark Sullivan, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Office of International Trade and Investment (MOITI) to the Hastings Innovation Center to speak to members of the Global Studies Diploma Program and the International Relations class. In his remarks to the students, Mr. Sullivan described his agency’s work and discussed a range of topics in regard to Massachusetts as an actor in international relations. These included Massachusetts’ trade partnerships and initiatives, innovation technology and educational leadership, economic standing in the U.S. and the world, and interactions with foreign business delegations and consulates. He also provided insight into his work in international business and his experiences living and traveling abroad for the past 25 years.
 
Mr. Sullivan’s organization, MOITI, is a state agency under the umbrella of the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development. In international relations, it is considered a sub-state actor, a governmental entity that is not a sovereign state. According to the Massachusetts government website, MOITI is “the international business development agency charged with promoting trade and investment with global partners in Massachusetts and around the world.” The agency has four main goals: increase foreign investments in Massachusetts, create jobs, strengthen the local economy, and focus on important trade partnerships. 
 
During Mr. Sullivan’s presentation, students examined statistics and graphic information which demonstrated the success Massachusetts has had in these efforts, and they learned that the State’s three largest trade partners are Canada, Mexico, and China. They also learned that their state’s main assets are the academic community, which provides a highly educated work force, the advanced manufacturing in the technology and bio-medical industries, and opportunities in the growing fields of robotics, nanotechnology, and cybersecurity.
 
The wide-ranging and current, local and global nature of Mr. Sullivan’s presentation, as well as his discussion of the technologies of the future in an increasingly integrated world economy, made for an insightful educational experience for the Global Studies and International Relations class students gathered in the Hastings Innovation Center for this event.
 
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