Wilson College of Textiles Professor Joins Global Engagement Institute

Wilson College of Textiles associate professor Helmut Hergeth is one of 13 NC State faculty and staff selected to join the Global Engagement Institute for 2019-2020.

The Global Engagement Institute is an annual program that provides professional development opportunities for faculty and staff who are interested in developing research, scholarship or academic programs with an international focus. 

Dr. Hergeth has been involved in the NC State study abroad program in Germany and teaches in the leadership minor program at the NC State European Center in Prague, Czech Republic. He has led and participated in the U.S. Department of Education Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) funded multilateral exchange programs, including the USA-EU Export Development Program and the Transatlantic Textile Network. As a member of the Global Engagement Institute, Hergeth worked on creating new exchange networks with Brazil and Australia, expanding the opportunities for students interested in study abroad.

In the classroom, Hergeth teaches his students that leadership is situational and that region and culture are important factors. Hergeth’s participation in the Institute underscores the global nature of the textile industry and provides an opportunity to improve students’ understanding of leadership principles in a global economy.

The Global Engagement Institute works to develop sustainable world-class research, education and knowledge transfer through an active international network of selected universities collaborating in research, learning and teaching to benefit global society. The Institute comprises four universities, NC State, the University of Sao Paolo, Brazil; the University of Surrey, UK; and the University of Wollongong, Australia. The program for 2019-2020 focuses on expanding academic and research collaborations through the University Global Partnership Network.

Hergeth joined Wilson College in 1991 as an assistant professor in the Department of Textiles and Apparel, Technology and Management, specializing in strategic management in textiles, technology management and select textile technology areas. He was promoted to associate professor in 1997. He received his Bachelor of Science in textiles from NC State, his master’s in business management and his Ph.D. in business management and economics from Westfalische Wilhelms-Universitat in Munster, Germany.