Directors Message

The seed was first sown in 2001 when Mrs Merrill Farnell, and Mrs Dr Luceille Outhred, Directors of GEM Global, travelled to Slovakia, Romania and Czech Republic with an NGO. Several business people expressed an interest in bringing education, entrepreneurship and business training to their country. However, the international leaders of the NGO failed to action the request, so the idea lay dormant for many years.

However, the relationship continued with Mr Mirel Talpes, a Romanian man who had expressed an interest in establishing GEM.  In 2007 he contacted Dr Luceille to discuss the formation of GEM Danubius (the Danube flows through the city of Arad).  Legal documents were prepared for its incorporation, but, because of growing economic uncertainties in 2008, it did not proceed at that time.

In 2009, Dr Luceille invited Mirel to attend a Social Entrepreneur’s conference which was being held in Iserlohn, Germany. He accepted, and again they caught up.  Dr Luceille suggested Mirel could apply for EU funding, that he “could use the leverage of having been accepted by a Western educational institution, and show the GEM materials, the Licence Agreement, and that they were ready to start translation work. Dr Luceille provided a USB with many GEM manuals”. Mr Douglas Harrison-Mills (an investment banker and consultant to the GEM Group, obtained information on available EU funding, and recommended the best approach to be taken. Mirel’s team began translation work while waiting for the GFC to pass.

In 2010, Mirel introduced Dr Luceille to Dr John Dettoni, of ICI (International Chrysalis Institute) and in 2011 she was invited to be a Resource person at the European ICI 2012. She accepted and an offer to attend was extended to other GEM Directors, Mrs Merrill Farnell, and Mr  John Outhred. Merrill, John and Dr Luceille travelled again caught up with Mirel. He advised that his company had gained EU funding for a building.
In 2013 Dr Luceille was invited again, to be a Resource person to ICI Europe, and to speak to over 100 Romanian and other Eastern European Youth on “Leadership”. On this occasion, she got to see the building’s full concrete skeleton which had been erected and to walk across the car park which was already laid.
The Centrul de Afaceri Maris Business Center in Arad, has been inspired by the GEM model, in as much as it is designed and planned as training and an incubation centre, as well as to provide serviced offices for existing businesses. The Center has given GEM activities priority to all activities in the Conference hall (100 sqm) as well as the additional training room (55 sqm). The facility is served by internet access (both cable and wireless), a sound system, projection facility on widescreen (2.5 x 3 meters), video-conference facilities, TV large screen and is directly connected, through a mobile wall, with the dining room for coffee breaks and/or business dinners.
The official opening was in August 2014.

Available Courses

The following table summarises the Accredited Qualifications that may be offered by GEM College of International Business. Our key focus is on Certificate IV, Diploma, Advanced Diploma, Graduate Certificate and Graduate Diploma programs.