The E.J. Ourso College of Business will be incorporating a focus on Chinese study into its curriculum by offering a minor in Chinese culture and commerce beginning summer 2006. The addition comes after a group of University students and faculty traveled to China to visit and establish connections with businesses and universities in major cities in northeastern China, like Beijing and Shanghai.
“[The college of business] wants to create an educational program to help future leaders of business understand the business and cultural practices of China,” said Robert Sumichrast, dean of the college.
Sumichrast said China’s huge population and growing economy make it ideal for business students to study.
Sumichrast, Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Risa Palm, Honors College Dean Nancy Clark, College of Arts and Sciences Dean Guillermo Ferreyra and Student Government vice president Patrick Downs visited China for nine days. They went to highly industrial areas in China, visiting Pepsi, DuPont and eBay, as well as universities.
“The opportunities we have are in the major cities,” Sumichrast said. “As dean of the college of business, I’m interested more in the cities and places where they are involved in commerce activity.”
The Master of Business Administration program will also incorporate studying Chinese business into its curriculum for interested students, Sumichrast said. The MBA specialization will require Mandarin language courses, a study of Chinese business practices and a study abroad program in China.
MBA students and David Crary, associate dean for MBA and Executive programs, also visited China from Sept. 11 through Sept. 23. Crary said part of the MBA tuition includes international residency, but students usually go to Europe.
“Many of our young people in business are going to be affected by things going on in China and Asia,” Crary said.
The MBA students visited manufacturing industries as well as government-run industries like silk and pearl production companies.
Sven Hagenberg, MBA student from Germany, said although China has a communist government, its economy is moving toward capitalism.
Hagenberg said China’s main economic strength is cheap labor and many of China’s companies manufacture copies of name-brand products.
“At some point, I think the world is going to step up and protect copyrights,” Hagenberg said.
Alan Fowler, MBA student, said the experience will give him an edge when applying for jobs.
“A lot of [job] recruiters want international experience,” Fowler said.
Hagenberg and Fowler said they learned cultural history from their guides as well as visiting famous sites like the Forbidden City and the Great Wall.
“Our guides talked about how they perceived changes [in the government],” Hagenberg said. “Some were younger and had seen the change from communistic to big-city free market.”
Fowler said their guides seemed happy with the progress China has made under communism but the country has a long way to go until it catches up with the United States and Western Europe.
Hagenberg said China does not completely embrace foreign commercial presence.
“One of our guides referred to foreign businessmen as ‘flies,'” Hagenberg said.
Hagenberg compared China’s economy to that of Eastern Europe’s.
“[Western] Europe and American quality is very modern,” Hagenberg said. “Chinese and Eastern European economy still have to rebuild. Parts are modern and parts are in ruins. The pollution is very bad. In the Yangtze River, we saw dead pigs floating because they release pollution into the river.”
Hagenberg said China still has a “pat-on-the-back” society and corruption is still rampant.
Hagenberg said it may take centuries for China to completely “catch up” with the West.
“It was first estimated to take 25 years for Eastern Europe to catch up with the West, but now it is estimated to take 125 years,” Hagenberg said. “China will have to work out its political issues, too.”
Contact Leslie Ziober at [email protected]