Traveling to Beijing for the
week of fall break was a great opportunity for learning and growth. I
feel so fortunate to have been able to join the eleven other Notre Dame
delegates on this incredible adventure. In conjunction with the students
from Peking University in Beijing, Monica Laidig, Verona Lu, Qiaoning Li, and
Ava Lee all did a fantastic job putting together a well-coordinated and
well-timed schedule. This comprehensive schedule allowed us time both to
build new friendships with the Chinese students and to experience first-hand
many different aspects of Chinese culture.
The best part of the trip was definitely the opportunity that we had to make
new friends with the delegates from Peking University. It was extremely
interesting to learn about the similarities and differences between our two
cultures and to discuss the different ways that the American and Chinese
students viewed the issues that were presented to us in the case competition.
Based on my personal experience, I felt as if the Chinese students were more
detail-oriented in their analysis of the questions, and they seemed to place
great emphasis on numbers and charts to support their analysis. In
contrast, the American students, including myself, enjoyed discussing the “bigger
picture” more, and we tended to look for more ways to tie the different
questions together. Overall, I felt as if our two unique approaches to
the case study complemented each other very well, and in the end, each of the
three groups developed very strong presentations. And fortunately, the
team I was on won the competition!
Outside of the work that we performed on the case, I really enjoyed the
opportunities that we had to become fully immersed in the Chinese culture.
First, with regards to food, we tasted many of China’s most famous delicacies,
most notably Peking Duck. This roasted duck was my favorite meal of the
week, and we ate it in one of Beijing’s most famous and traditional restaurants
where many heads of states have previously eaten. Second, we learned a
great deal about the history of China through our visits to the Great Wall and
the Forbidden City. I was absolutely amazed by the beauty of both of
these sights, and it was truly remarkable to consider the number of people who
must have dedicated their lives to constructing both of these wonders.
Finally, I gained valuable insight into Chinese business through our three
different company visits. One of our company visits was to the
headquarters of Sinosteel Corporation, a state-owned steel company.
During the visit, we talked to one of the company’s top managers, and it was
fascinating to hear him characterize the relationship that the company has with
the Chinese government. I learned a lot from the experience about what it
would actually be like to work for a state-owned corporation, and I believe
that such an experience is important to have in order to understand the Chinese
economy because many Chinese businesses are owned by the government.
I am so grateful for having had the opportunity to travel to China with the
Student International Business Council, and I appreciate the hard work that
everyone put in to make this trip possible. It was truly an unforgettable
experience.
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