Future tycoons visit Shanghai
China is attracting not only global enterprises but also educational institutes.
A program has been launched by the Washington University’s Olin Business School to make Shanghai one of its three off-campus stops in its six-week global study and practice trip. The other two stops are Washington DC in the US and Barcelona in Spain.
After arriving later this month, they will spend 17 days working on real business problems, such as market-entry problems and international business operations.
Patrick S. Moreton, associate dean of the school, told Shanghai Daily that the program was designed to give full-time MBA students “a rich, deep and extensive international experience” and to make its students “really comfortable working anywhere in the world.”
He said Shanghai was among the first options when selecting the stops for the trip.
“China is one of the most important economies in the world, and to brew somebody really globally aware, it’s important that they have first-hand understanding of China as much as possible,” said Patrick, adding that Olin has had a relationship with Shanghai-based Fudan University's School of Management for about 20 years.
About 70 students visited Shanghai to try out the program in March, and it proved successful.
They had a tour to a garment factory in Taicang of neighboring Jiangsu Province to get a better understanding of business operations, compared apparel retailers in Shanghai and worked on a project involving a market entry problem for an American baked goods retailer.
Some Olin Business School students visit the MuDoo garment factory in Taicang of neighboring Jiangsu Province, learning about business operations in a global environment.
Brinda Gupta, one of the students, said: “The business sector increasingly requires working with global partners. By taking this course, I am gaining a deep understanding of the China business landscape through excursions to companies and discussions with impactful leaders. No matter which career path I decide to take, I am leaving this course with a greater ability to make thorough decisions and put myself in the shoes of other individuals and corporations.”
Bryant Powell, another student, said the trip enabled him to gain the global business experience he wanted.
“Being able to find a way to experience the culture and atmosphere of an emerging economy with some of the best and brightest people I’ve ever met is an experience I would never forget,” he said. “I am gaining what it is to live and breathe in another country with customs far from my own experiences. This is an experience I would never have been given if it wasn’t for this program.”
Students of Olin Business School at Washington University compare notes after visiting a donut shop in the Metro station at the People's Square in Shanghai. They are working on a project involving a market entry problem for an American baked goods retailer.
