"China is like the wild, wild West," says MBA student Peter Travnicek, who visited the country with 32 of his Notre Dame classmates this fall. The same technological advancement and shift from agrarian country to industrialized nation that characterized America in the latter 19th century is evident in China today. Taking the 12-day trip to Beijing and Shanghai during Interterm Intensives and fall break, the two-week period between the fall semester's two seven-week modules, the students had "a tremendous number of opportunities to meet business leaders, to view the way business is conducted in China, and to see what lies ahead for the country," says Andrea Kreps, Director of MBA Student Services at Notre Dame.
The international immersion trip had four educational and experiential components: seminars and lectures, field trips (heritage and cultural site visits and company visits), dialogues and exchanges, and the learning of practical Mandarin phrases. On the trip students met with financial and business leaders from McKinsey Consulting Partners who discussed general business trends in China; with journalists who explained the differences between the local and American reporting of the May earthquake, the milk scare, and the Olympics; and with officials such as the American Consulate in Shanghai, who described how the U.S. government is aiding companies with business operations in China. Several students also took an informal three-day side trip to Hong Kong.
"MBA candidate Derrick Harmon says that it was exciting to see the emergence of China after hearing about the tremendous growth in his classes. In a blog during his trip to Asia, he writes, "This China trip to Beijing and Shanghai has opened my eyes to how much China is changing and to the opportunity in this nation. . . There is still a lot of progress to be made, but overall China is accelerating and I feel that we have a better understanding of what that acceleration looks like."
Also this fall in Santiago, Chile, a city of more than six million people, 22 MBA students seeking exposure to business in Latin America took a 15-hour Spanish language workshop and are currently studying at the University of Alberto Hurdato for seven weeks. The program not only provides international training, but it also offers exposure to Chilean business leaders, networking opportunities, and a chance to develop Spanish language skills and broaden cultural diversity. In the spring, other MBA students will have the opportunity to visit both Buenos Aires and Santiago for a short Interterm trip. All of these opportunities for international immersion offer an exposure to the world's interconnected global economy and the opportunities awaiting Notre Dame MBA students after graduation.
