It was a lively group listening to everyone chat with the MBA students from Zhe Jiang University, nice interactions. From there we took the train to Shanghai, maxing at around 350 kph (215 mph). At the alumni dinner we had a meal that might have even topped the Hangzhou lunch. From there, the Shanghai night lights lured everyone into the city like mosquitos to a summer porch light. So what did you get from today’s activities?
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March 15, 2011 at 3:17 am |
Our table had a student from Singapore joining our discussion. It was interesting to hear his perspective on working cross-culturally with the Chinese and about his experience being one of only two international students in the MBA program. We often this of cultural differences as those existing between Eastern and Western cultures, but it’s important to remember that even two Eastern viewpoints can be very different.
March 19, 2011 at 3:20 pm |
So I thought today’s discussions about the case were interesting, but I was surprised that we didn’t really get to a comprehensive solution for the problem. To play devil’s advocate, what about shutting the company down in China and moving to the US? If I remember correctly, 80% of the companies customers were based in the US and most of problems were coming from the Chinese customers. I understand that there are lower labor costs in China, but with increasing wages, this disparity is quickly disappearing.
March 21, 2011 at 7:14 am |
Interesting how similar Chinese MBA students were to American MBA students. The biggest example of this is that there is no one type of Chinese student any more than there is one type of American student. Some of them were interested and engaged, while others were simply showing up to get credit and leaving as soon as possible. I’m not inferring this indirectly… one girl at my table actually pulled out her ID card, pointed at her colleague, and said, “He wouldn’t be here if they didn’t make him swipe his card.” He grunted and went back to looking at his computer. Totally could have happened in the states.
I enjoyed eating at the cafeteria. Not that it was my favorite meal we’ve had, but because it seemed to be really representative of what the students there eat on a daily basis.
March 21, 2011 at 8:06 am |
It was really interesting to compare all three cities on this day. Beijing was a bustling city, but older and more established. Hangzhou was beautiful and natural, with a history that was apparent. Shanghai was fast-paced, with a newness that showed in all of the buildings and architecture. As time went on I think that Shanghai was my favorite, but each city really left me with different learnings and experiences. On that particular day I thought it was really interesting to see how Chinese students interact in the classroom. Overall I noticed (both with students and at company visits) that when someone is presenting it is more common for Chinese audience members to have side-conversations or get up and leave. I don’t know if this was just my experience, or if this is indicative of all Chinese, but I thought it was interesting.
March 21, 2011 at 8:09 am |
I have to agree that the most interesting take away for today was the similarities between the Chinese and American MBA students. Some were prepared and ready to discuss the case; some hadn’t even read it and were just there for credit… pretty similar to classes back home. Many of the students were in awe of Prof. Kelm’s American teaching style, more of a conversation between student and teacher instead of a lecture with questions at the end. The meal in the cafeteria was a great insight into the everyday food of a Chinese student, again, very similar to the quality you would expect in a cafeteria back home.
March 21, 2011 at 12:09 pm |
Today’s visit with the MBA students at Zhe Jiang University was a great opportunity to interact with other MBA students and to understand what they think about business. I was also very impressed by how large and professional the Zhe Jiang campus was.
The bullet train to Shanghai was incredible; I wish that the states had some of these trains. I know that a bullet train from Austin to Dallas or Houston would be a huge hit. In addition to my fascination with the speed of the bullet train, I also enjoyed being able to see the countryside. The farmers amaze me with their ability to farm without the huge tractors and machinery that are common in the states.
March 21, 2011 at 2:10 pm |
One interesting observation I had was at Zhe Jiang University there was a difference between students who were part time and full time. Similar to this dichotomy in US institutions, the full time students simply had more time to prepare and where more able to share. I think this is a function of the time spent focusing on school as opposed to time at your job + school (one gentleman at my table worked 12 hour days in his factory Monday through Thursday and then attended school all day Friday and Saturday). To this end, it is amazing the great lengths Chinese people will go to to benefit not only themselves, but more interestingly, their entire families. By going to school this student would earn a higher wage which he described as for his family. Amazing.
Bullet Train? Maybe it was so smooth I didn’t realize how fast it was going because I didn’t even notice.
March 21, 2011 at 2:12 pm |
At Zhe Jiang University, I learned that the male to female ratio is much better for their MBA program than it is in the U.S. — about 60/40 versus our 70/30. I thought that was interesting given the hurdles that women have had to overcome in the country overall. Also, I learned that they are getting a much better tuition deal! Students told us they pay about 80,000 yuan for the whole program (~$12,000 USD), but that this price is still considered very expensive.
On the bullet train, I found myself gazing out at the countryside at all the vacant buildings and warehouses. It seemed like lots of multi-family development areas had been built and then never used or for some reason abandoned.
The alumni dinner was fun and it was a nice treat getting to see the Chinese wedding taking place downstairs, although our alumni informed us that it was a very “Westernized” version of a typical Chinese wedding that she has been to.
March 21, 2011 at 2:46 pm |
At ZJU, I thought their facilities were really pretty on the outside, and then maybe so-so on the inside…the campus is relatively new, but already some parts looked worn and the cafeteria bathroom was pretty gross. It was kind of perfect considering our case discussion about quality over speed.
Shanghai’s train station was really nice, and I kept being impressed…by the buildings on the way to our hotel, and then the incredible skyscrapers across the river in Pudong. Some of us went up to the 100th floor of the Shanghai World Financial Center, which cost 150 RMB but was totally worth it. How often can you look down at the top of an 88-story building (the Jinmao Tower)? The lights and development in Pudong were really spectacular…I can tell why many people told me to visit Shanghai after Beijing.
March 21, 2011 at 5:38 pm |
I loved the opportunity to talk to the students at Zhejiang University and it was obvious how excited they were to talk to us. I wish that we had more time to share our experiences, but it was so difficult to hear in that room. The women that I was talking to was so very smart and had some really great insights on the differences between business cultures in the US and China, and some of the reasons for those differences.
The view from the top of the tower absolutely break taking. The order of the trip was perfect; each location was more beautiful than the next. Shanghai has such an amazing mix of old and new.
March 21, 2011 at 7:03 pm |
I found it quite interesting to hear about the small entrepreneurial community developing in the area around Zhe Jiang. Despite near total inaccess to capital, entrepreneurs were popping up all around the area, often forming the equivalent of co-ops in order to specialize in a particular product and achieve economies of scale.
March 21, 2011 at 7:31 pm |
It was great to hear the different perspectives from MBA students from Zhe Jiang. It was nice that they were as well prepared as were for the case preparation, spurning some insightful conversation. Afterwards, we took the bullet train to Shanghai, which was very fast, smooth, and quiet. Why does the US not have a bullet train?
Shanghai has some great architecture and its interesting to know that 20 – 25 years ago, the city landscape was very different. We had another alumni dinner and did a little wedding party crashing. Afterwards, some of us went to a bar on the 94th floor of the World Financial Center (the bottle opener building). Good drinks, but Shanghai is a little more cosmopolitan, thus, more expensive drinks than Beijing.
March 22, 2011 at 12:48 pm |
The highlights of today for me were the bullet train and seeing Shanghai for the first time. Like Travis mentioned, bullet trains in the US would be such a hit, especially given the current hassles of air travel. Once we arrived in Shanghai, I was amazed at the differences between Shanghai and Beijing. Beijing felt much more like an LA with the urban sprawl while Shanghai felt more like San Fran with the taller buildings that felt more condensed. While I didn’t make it all the way up to the top of the bottle opener, we did have drinks at the bar near the top – having my ears pop while going up the elevator was an interesting feeling.
March 22, 2011 at 1:22 pm |
The students we talked with from the MBA program at Zhe Jiang University had interesting points in regards to the difference between the business cultures of America and China. A woman we talked to discussed her and her husband’s important upcoming decision whether she should have another child, having already satisfied the one child policy. If so, they would both have to pay the equivalent of one year’s salary each, quite a hefty sum, particularly for a family dependent on both spouses’ paychecks already.
The train ride to Shanghai was smooth, and the alumni dinner went well, with a pretty view of the waterfront. However, the restaurant’s vantage point was easily surpassed after dinner, when a group of us went to the Park Hyatt in the Shanghai World Financial Center, the third tallest building in the world. From this location we had a gorgeous view of Shanghai, full of skyscrapers which have all been built in the past twenty years. I was recently in New York City at a vantage point overlooking the skyline that I thought could not be topped. The SWFC did just that.
March 22, 2011 at 3:08 pm |
It was great to get the viewpoint of a Chinese MBA student and how they the employment universe. Much to my surprise, many of them had many of the same concerns and aspirations. Also, it was refreshing to see that a couple of them had pretty clear entrepreneurial ambitions and so it was good to hear about that.
The bullet train was definitely interesting. Quite impressive – 350 km/h and yet I didn’t hear or feel a thing. The US needs to learn a thing or two about this mode of transport. It could really work on some of the heavier traveled routes.
March 22, 2011 at 3:09 pm |
I enjoyed seeing how similar the Chinese MBA student were to us, especially when it came to discussing the case. I was also at the table with the student from Singapore, and found it interesting that he was one of only 2 international students in the program – very different from what we experience here in the US where there is such a large emphasis on creating a diverse class filled with students from around the world. This shows the difference in international demand for a US education verses a Chinese education.
I liked the bullet train and am impressed at China’s success in building and expanding high-speed rail throughout the country.
March 22, 2011 at 3:56 pm |
I also enjoyed seeing how similar the Chinese MBA students were to us. I didn’t really know what to expect, but the discussion at my table was actually fairly similar to the type of discussion that I would expect 6 students to have inside of a McCombs classroom. I was really impressed by the discussion at my table.
After the alumni dinner, the Chinese couple who was getting married downstairs recognized me and asked a few of us to take a picture with them. Okay, fine maybe we asked to take a picture with them. After we ditched the paparazzi, we went to the top of the 3rd highest building in the world. It was an amazing view and amazing to see how Shanghai and grown and changed since 1990. The entire downtown area was built since 1990 and now it looks like a poor man’s Manhattan. Very cool.
March 22, 2011 at 4:30 pm |
I had a very interesting converstation with the Chinese students from Zhe Jiang University at my table. They were primarily interested in our perceptions of China so far and one girl that I talked to was really excited that I was going to Xian. She had grown up right near Xian and was glad to hear that we were interested in visiting the cultural/historical sites there and gave us some great recommendations for local dishes too. She was so friendly and enthusiastic about her country so it was neat to hear her perspectives on growing up in China.
I think my favorite part of the day was the alumni dinner in Shanghai though. I really enjoyed all the food that night and it was a great view of the downtown. I sat at the table with Harrison and I really enjoyed getting to meet another McCombs alum and hearing about his experiences leading the first global trip to China.
March 22, 2011 at 5:40 pm |
I noticed that the Chinese MBA students were quick to volunteer to speak to the group, much more so than the US students. I also noticed this at the elementary level. This might be because the Chinese find anyway possible to make themselves stand out. There was no hesitation from them to speak their opinion. I also found that it was interesting that their program happened to be 40% women and 60% men which is a higher percentage of women than at McCombs.
Shanghai was my favorite city. I loved the mix of modern skyscrapers and traditional architecture. Tonight I went to the 101st floor of the tallest building in China. It did feel a bit queezy walking across the glass floor. The crazy thing is that in less than two years, there will be an even higher skyscraper, a testament to the extremely fast growth and development pace in China.
March 22, 2011 at 8:18 pm |
Other then a wicked case of stomach issues (ie TD) for the next 4 days. I got some interesting take aways from the university. First that I should stick around for another day to attend a bschool singles mixer and find myself a husband. That China has changed rapidly over the years and things that may have been issues previously aren’t still today. And that procrastinations spans all cultures.
It was really great meeting and talking to the alumni.
March 22, 2011 at 8:27 pm |
Our visit with the Zhe Jiang University MBA students was one of the highlights of the trip for me. I enjoyed not only discussing the case topics, but comparing their program and experiences with ours. It was also an opportunity for us to navigate the language barrier. I realized today that just because they speak English, doesn’t mean they understand everything we’re saying. It’s easy to forget how difficult a new language is and that vocabulary is not as extensive. Every time I would say something or ask a question, the student at our table would pause and look a little confused. As I fumbled trying to figure out a better way to phrase things, Dave figured out how to explain what I meant by writing things down, which seemed to work and keep the conversation flowing.
March 22, 2011 at 8:35 pm |
I really enjoyed interacting with the Chinese MBA students. Most of the ones at my table were in the part-time program. It was interesting to hear where they are working and why they are getting their MBAs. I also found it interesting that the Chinese MBA students stand up when they are speaking whereas we stay seated.
I really enjoyed our first night in Shanghai! I am so impressed with the architecture in this city and how most of the skyscrapers have bright lights on them. It definitely adds excitement to the city at night! I agree with Christina that it is really interesting to see the modern skyscrapers next to the older traditional buildings.
I liked getting to see the wedding at the restaurant where we ate dinner. It was interesting to see the similarities and differences to weddings in the United States. I was most surprised to see how casually the guests were dressed. A few of them were wearing jeans while the bride and groom were dressed in formal outfits.
March 22, 2011 at 8:59 pm |
I especially enjoyed the side conversation that Laura, John, Tapan and I had with “Alice” at the University. It’s already been mentioned but I was shocked to hear how high the fee was for having an illegal child – she said it was equivalent to a combined household annual salary (though later that night, the alumni Harrison said it was roughly $20K US so perhaps there was some language confusion). Our Alice was asked what how old she was and what her “plan was for baby”. Interesting to see very obviously career-oriented women asking other women blatantly such a personal question.
I agree with Cheryl though, eating at the cafeteria was an experience I could have done without! I know several people got sick afterwards…definitely made for a memorable trip to say the least. At least none of us got appendicitis like our friend did on the India global trip, that’ll put things in perspective!
March 22, 2011 at 9:51 pm |
The most interesting thing about Zhe Jiang was its sheer size. I thought UT had a big campus, but theirs felt like it was the size of all of Austin. Our discussion with the students was interesting but I think a few of their answers to our questions felt like they were scripted.
The alumni dinner was a great time and was the best buffet-style “lazy Susan” group dinner of the trip. The food was great and the alumni were fun and willing to share stories with fellow McCombs students. My favorite part of the dinner was witnessing the Western wedding reception when we walked in.
I ended the night with a tour of the Shanghai World Financial Center and a view from its 96th floor observation deck. It was amazing to see the building lights and riverboats of Shanghai from that vantage point. As I traveled south from Beijing (eventually to Hong Kong) along China’s east coast, the cities grew more vertical and the culture more western. Shanghai was filled with familiar company names atop its skyscrapers and more modern amenities.
March 22, 2011 at 10:07 pm |
I had a great time interacting with our Chinese counterparts on this day. They were interesting and interested in learning about our lifestyles so the conversation was engaging and educational. They had not read the case, which was fine, but they were really interested in sharing their lifestyle and school traditions with us. It was interesting to see that most of them had families and spouses, and they could not believe how young some members of our group are. The highlight was one of our Chinese students proudly showing off his 186-day old daughter. He kept track of the days which I thought was unique to China and am still confused as to why they do that. He did mention a 100-day celebration.
The campus was enormous! I thought UT was big but this was huge. I saw people of all ages in the commissary and it was interesting to see that all the professors live in the same apartment complex on campus. That would not fly at UT.
The bullet train was so nice and clean, it never felt like we were going 250 mph, but we made excellent time to Shanghai and it was a smooth experience.
Our alumni dinner was fun as I sat next to Harrison from GLP and the wedding was great! It was one of many examples of a Western wedding that we saw in China (previously we saw the pictures in front of the Catholic church in Beijing).
March 23, 2011 at 12:30 am |
I spoke with a student at Zhejiang University who was in the working MBA program. He worked as a manager at a cigarette company. I asked him whether he was worried if the government decided cigarettes were unhealthy, whether they might pass legislation to curb cigarette usage and hurt his companies bottom line. He explained that cigarette companies in China are government owned and extremely profitable. He doubted the government would cease such as profitable enterprise.
The bullet train experience from Hangzhou to Shanghai was cool both from a gee-whiz techie perspective but also because it helped provide a snapshot of how China’s industry was growing. We saw endless small plots of crops as well as production plants belching out fumes as China works to try to feed and support its billons of people.
March 23, 2011 at 5:58 am |
Meeting with the MBA students was an interesting experience to see how their education differs from ours. On the whole I could tell they all seemed very driven and committed to their education. I was surprised by how many women were in their program – much more than our 30%. Also, their tuition is significantly less expensive than ours. I most enjoyed the side conversations with the students learning about their lives as students and what the do outside of school.
The alumni dinner was fun – particularly seeing the wedding going on downstairs! Right as we walked in the groom was singing and then the bride was escorted down the aisle by her father. I love watching weddings in foreign countries to see how they are similar or different. This one seemed to be a bit more of a production and the alum was telling us most brides change outfits 3-4 times during a wedding.
March 23, 2011 at 8:33 am |
I really enjoyed meeting MBA students from China. They were completely different from our group and it really added a good perspective. The student I met with struggled with English but it was his first time ever speaking with an American. So it was fun to practice with him and you could see how excited he was for the opportunity.
The view from the high speed train was spectacular. Seeing the country side was really interesting. The architecture of single family homes, rather rare in China, is so much different. Even with all this space, they still choose to building narrow multi-floor homes.
March 23, 2011 at 8:56 am |
I enjoyed visiting Zhejiang University and enjoyed meeting MBA students from China. I met with the same student as Casey and found it very interesting that this was his first time meeting Americans. It is still fascinating to me how little interaction they have with Americans and I constantly am reminded of this when people would take pictures of us or stare at us. Coming from San Francisco, I am never shocked to meet someone from a different culture or country, so I wasn’t expecting that.
The bullet train to Beijing was great and so efficient! I think it would be great if we could have them in the U.S. I know there were talks of having one from LA to SF, but the funding wasn’t there. I was surprised and liked the amount of security they had as compared to the U.S. In the U.S., the train system does not scan your bags. I guess it’s just another one of their efficiencies.
March 23, 2011 at 10:03 am |
I enjoyed speaking with the MBA students at Zhejiaing University. I was able to see first hand how sometimes it is easier for non-fluent English speakers to see written words rather than just hear the sounds. Julie, David and I found it helpful to write some of the key concepts we were talking about on paper to aid in our conversations. The MBA student did the same thing for us when we couldn’t understand him clearly. He even wrote down a few of his favorite TV channels to see if we had any of the same ones! It was fun to find these points of similarity.
March 23, 2011 at 1:55 pm |
Zhe Jiang University was a great experience for me. It was awesome to get the perspective of an MBA student from halfway across the world and discuss reasons for going back to business school and the overall perspective on the opportunities that exist in the Chinese economy. It was interesting to me that most of these students were part-time, and that was the majority of the class. Although it only costs the students $12,000 to attend the university, with the monthly salary of the students, that is a princely sum over there, just like our tuition is here in the US.
The bullet train to Shanghai was really impressive. The fact that it went 200mph and was comfortable and luxurious compared to the Long Island Railroad i’m used to makes me think we should get these high speed trains over here in the US. We arrived in Shanghai to another gorgeous hotel and a really impressive downtown area. I am intrigued by how spread out the skyscrapers are and how the city is littered with two-story houses alongside these large buildings. It makes sense I guess since Shanghai does not have the space constraints that a city like New York does. A trip to the top of the “Can-Opener” skyscraper, and simultaneously the tallest observation deck in the world gives me an awesome view of an amazing city and the busy river that runs right through it. Minus a slight case of vertigo at the top of the building, it was a great ending to the first day in Shanghai.
March 23, 2011 at 3:16 pm |
It was a great experience talking with the students of Zhe Jiang University. A few of the students drilled me with questions. They wanted to hear my opinions of the consequences that economic development in China will bring. We had a good conversation about the positives and negatives associated with rapid economic growth. I was surprise to see their interest in the opinions of a Westerner with relation to their country. It was clear that they were concerned about the affects economic growth can have on a country. We talked about distribution of wealth, city planning, polution and government.
I also spoke with a student who expressed her concerns about the governments role in Chinese society. She pointed out that some companies are pressured to build infastructure quickly to employee more people without regard to the consequences of having to rebuild in 10 years. This of course wastes resources and harms the environment. This is an idea I had never thought about previously.