The conversation began a bit stilted, but by the end of the hour, Alcorn State University MBA professors and their Russian counterparts from Amur State University were joking about everything from professors’ salaries to tax theory. The Russian professors, part of and international consortium which includes Alcorn and Jackson State University, toured Alcorn’s Lorman and Natchez campuses Thursday, speaking with professors and students.

The visiting professors are part of the Mississippi Consortium for International Development.

In an informal discussion in Alcorn MBA program director Dr. Steve Wells’ office, the group discussed the schools’ similarities and differences.

Both schools’ MBA&160;programs are young: Alcorn’s began in 1997, while Amur’s began about a year ago.

&uot;We’re a little more experienced than you,&uot; Wells said.

Both schools also receive funding from their respective governments.

Alcorn, under a court order to increase diversity among the student body, receives state funding for its MBA program.

&uot;One good thing about our program is that the state of Mississippi, as part of the court order, provides the funding,&uot; Wells said. &uot;So we don’t take money away from other programs.&uot;

And according to Galina Jchetcheta, head of Amur’s MBA program, that school’s students receive free tuition from the Russian government once they reach a certain level in the program.

But the Russian professors said out-of-state tuition at Mississippi schools is often too steep for Russian students involved in the consortium to pay.

Alcorn has one Russian MBA student, Mikhail Perevoznikov, who found out about Alcorn over the Internet.

&uot;We’re trying to find some opportunity in our consortium to make it cheaper,&uot; Rustam Sahakyan said through Perevoznikov, who was helping translate.

&uot;Our people cannot afford a very high tuition,&uot; Rustam said.

Tuition at Amur is about $600 per year, and professors make about $100 per month.

&uot;Maybe I’m overpaying my professors,&uot; Wells joked.

&uot;We work a lot,&uot; Sahakyan clarified through a translator. &uot;Having a low salary doesn’t mean we don’t work.&uot;

The Russian professors said they hope the consortium will give professors and students more experience in international business.

&uot;Before 1970, management science was not encouraged (in Russia),&uot; Jchetcheta said.

&uot;The most important thing is the process of globalization,&uot; said Grennady Troshin. &uot;People are needed who have the international experience. We have to connect our accounting systems. We have to speak one language via the Internet.&uot;