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 The MBA has become a benchmark qualification in the 1990s for international organizations. It may not represent the most important item in a curriculum, but it undoubtedly opens doors to an international career.

According to studies from the MBA Career Guide, the demand for professionals with an MBA has grown 15% in the global market, mostly due to requisitions by companies in the e-commerce and technology sectors. These companies, which influence the rapid growth of globalization, use the MBA degree as a qualification reference.

There is a consensus in the world of international business, particularly among Human Resources specialists, that executive education must be an ongoing, career-long process. In non-English speaking countries around the world, language education in English is an essential tool for career advancement. Learning Spanish is also a concern for executives in many countries.

Even with this strong motivation, integrating language training with other daily priorities is a major hassle for most executives. After all, they have no time for traveling between home or office and a training center on a regular basis. The most practical, tested and proven solution to this vexing problem is distance education. Emerging IT technologies have rapidly advanced this technique of delivering education directly to the learner at home or at the office.

The record entry of foreign direct investment over the last decade is forcing Brazil's labor pool to be more competitive and better qualified. The educational sector is responding with distance (aka online) education and specialty courses. Already, language and computer courses command over US$500 million in sales per year. The market will continue to grow as new entrants, competing with new products and technologies strive to satisfy demand.

2001 has been a year of weakened investor confidence. The US emerged from a divisive election, questioning its own democratic institutions. Argentines lost faith in their leaders as their economy teetered on default. Investors lost confidence in the Brazilian and Chilean currencies that have dropped on average 32% since January. Now, the terrorist attacks have shaken deeper foundations of the US economy and stock markets that expanded unfettered for a record nine years. In times of uncertainty, companies retreat from risk. Foreign direct investment will drop more than 40% in 2001 after ten consecutive years of growth.