Sixteen students and two faculty members from SPU’s Master of Arts in Management with an emphasis in Social and Sustainable Management (MAM-SSM) program embarked December 1 on a three-week whirlwind tour of Asia to study international business firsthand. The team visited three cities in China (Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong), where they toured large Chinese and American multinational companies (Lenovo and Nike), as well as three privately held Chinese companies (including Xiaomi, now the third largest mobile phone maker in the world). While in Beijing the group also attended a private briefing by Cultural Affairs officers from the U.S. Embassy.
Other visits in China included a trip to a Chinese government-sponsored cloisonné factory on the outskirts of Beijing, and cultural visits to The Great Wall of China, the Oriental Pearl Tower in Shanghai, and Victoria Peak in Hong Kong. While in Shanghai the group caught up with alumni George Liu ’91 (MBA) and Robb Willett ’07. While in Hong Kong they met with SPU alumni Brad Jordan ‘79 and Holly Harris Wood ’07 to learn more about faith, work, and living abroad.
The team then moved on to India, visiting Delhi and Bengaluru, with a day trip to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. In India, company visits once again included a range from large multinationals to government-run organizations, to small private social enterprises. Highlights included meetings with financier Collin Timms, chairman of Guardian Bank and the Bridge Foundation; and the team from the Institute of Experiential Learning. As a bonus, the group flew home through Dubai for a taste of the Middle East, including a desert-dunes excursion, traditional Bedouin dinner, camel rides, and more.
The study trip was a huge success, with many new friends and business contacts made, and many international business lessons learned. Photos are courtesy of team member Nick Lowe-Hale.