June 26, 2025
SVSU students collaborate on global leadership
Members of Saginaw Valley State University’s Vitito Global Leadership Program traveled to Ghana in March to collaborate with students in Ghana while learning about urgent contemporary leadership issues. The Vitito Global Youth Leadership Conference was a central component of the Vitito Fellows’ weeklong international travel experience, a pillar of the leadership program.
At the conference, which carried the theme “Enhancing Youth Leadership at the Intersection of Globalization and the AI Revolution,” SVSU students teamed with students from leadership programs in Ghana to research, discuss and present ideas for addressing global leadership issues.
The conference was held at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) in Accra.
During the conference, the students gained a better understanding of AI’s potential benefits and possible dysfunctions while participating in discussion and interactive workshops. The forum explored the impact of AI across subjects such as health, finance, agriculture, education and small business sectors.
Rhea Schultz, a major in international business from Saginaw and member of the Vitito Global Leadership Institute, reflected on her time during the trip: “The visit was the encompassing experience of interacting with leadership students and professionals globally. It was firsthand, ground experience of global interaction and networking. This impacts SVSU and the students by cultivating a worldly perspective and education within our students.”
To continue the work that was begun at the conference, a virtual forum and a post-conference project involving students from SVSU and Ghana are underway.
“We are going to maintain the student connections by holding several collaborative online meetings with the goal of writing chapters to assemble into a book.” Said Micah DelVecchio, an SVSU associate professor of economics. “The subject is on how AI will affect businesses around the world and how important it is to develop human relationships in the face of these dramatic changes.”
In addition to participating in the leadership conference, the Vitito Fellows met with traditional and political leaders, toured historical sites and participated in cultural ceremonies. They also organized a donation drive to support the Royal Seed Orphanage in Accra.
The Vitito Global Leadership Institute is an accelerated leadership development program for promising junior and senior business students at SVSU. Through in-depth leadership education, hands-on coursework, faculty-led international travel and opportunities to interact with global business and community leaders, students develop a deep understanding of leadership on a global scale.
The Institute was created by Robert J. (Bob) and Marianne M. (Bobbi) Vitito. Bob Vitito is a former member of the SVSU Board of Control and former chair of the SVSU Foundation Board of Directors. Bobbi Vitito taught students in the Saginaw school district and has been a leader in supporting the arts. The Vititos have supported many student-centered initiatives at SVSU, and their generosity continues to help develop a new generation of leaders through the Vitito Global Leadership Institute.