It was established with the purpose of improving foreign understanding of business practices within the United States,[1] thereby lifting a national image that had suffered greatly through the course of the Cold War.
Once awarded a contract, BCIU is responsible for project implementation, which can include a series of meetings, site visits, roundtables, conferences, and receptions with foreign delegations.
[5] The organization provides commercial diplomacy training to the U.S. foreign service and other U.S. officials involved in trade promotion agencies for the sake of improved intercultural literacy.
[8] Launched by the Eisenhower administration as the BCIU Institute, the program was designed to prepare international executives to meet the personal and professional challenges inherent to working abroad.
The curriculum of the BCIU sessions included language and cultural training, as well as briefings on the current state of the U.S., its foreign policy, and its slipping image abroad.