DePaul University's Richard Driehaus Center for International Business is seeking Chicago-area technology executives interested in joining four separate business delegations that will explore business-to-business market opportunities in China, Greece, Italy and Japan this fall and winter.

      The trips are part of the International Business Seminar Series, which was launched last fall by the university's Kellstadt Graduate School of Business with a $160,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The program offers Chicago-area executives a chance to travel abroad to gain practical knowledge about doing business in foreign countries. The trips are led by industry leaders and DePaul faculty members who are authorities in their fields and have executive-level experience working for international business organizations.

      To accommodate the busy schedules of participants, the trips typically last about one week. The groups are kept small to allow a high degree of interaction and personal attention.

      "The overall goal of the program is to support U.S. trade by offering area business executives firsthand experience in the business and cultural environments of a foreign country," said Mark Sullivan, director of the program. "The upcoming seminars to China, Italy, Greece and Japan will offer executives in-depth exposure to the technology industries in these countries through participation in major trade shows and specially arranged meetings with business leaders and trade organizations."

      Three of the upcoming programs are:

      - E-commerce Business-to-Business Program to Shanghai and Hong Kong, China, Sept. 22- 30. Participants will attend the E-Commerce Shanghai 2000 and Information Technology Expo 2000 exhibitions.

      - The E-Commerce Business-to-Business Program to Milan, Italy, Oct. 14-21. Participants will attend the SMAU 2000 Exhibition, the second largest technology trade show in Europe and largest high-tech trade show in Italy.

      - E-commerce Business-to-Business Program to Athens, Greece, Feb. 10-17, 2001. Participants will attend the COMDEX 2001 Exhibition.

      The three programs are for Chicago-area information technology software and hardware professionals. Participants will have an opportunity to attend pre-arranged, one-on-one meetings with representatives from major service providers and software developers in the host countries and will be introduced to private and public organizations that facilitate U. S. trade in the regions visited. The delegations will attend major trade shows and learn about each country's culture, e-business issues and general business practices.

      The fourth program, scheduled for Oct. 14-21, focuses on high-tech ventures in Osaka, Japan. It will allow executives to attend two trade shows, the Global Business Opportunities Conference (GBOC) from Oct. 14-19 and the Global Venture Forum 2000 (GVF) from Oct.16-21. The GVF is a gathering of executives in the information and communication technology, biotechnology, medical, health care, environmental, energy and advanced materials industries. GBOC attracts representatives from a wide range of firms. At the forums, participants will meet potential Japanese business partners and have the opportunity to observe some of the 50 presentations of business proposals by Japanese and international firms.

      For more information on these programs, call Ellen Dawson at (312) 362-8474 or visit the web site www.depaul.edu/ibss