Beijing experience - Alisha Anderson

I can say without a doubt that going to China over Fall break was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. From the 11-hour plane ride to chuting down from the Great Wall to visiting companies like Sino-Steel and Microsoft to eating too much Pocky, the week was a whirlwind of activities and fun. One of my favorite parts of the trip was simply navigating the huge city that is Beijing. It is one thing to read and hear about different aspects of Chinese culture, and it is another to be in the city and visit a state-sponsored enterprise, attempt to weave through the endless cars and bicycles, etc. Apart from the city atmosphere, perhaps my favorite part of the trip was working with the PKU delegates. I would be lying if I said this was always easy. There seemed to be constant misunderstandings about research assignments as well as the inevitable language barriers.  For example, we had to explain that "gambler" cannot be used interchangeably for "investor" and that there really is a difference between "supply chain" and "value chain." In spite of such apparent difficulties, I wouldn't trade the experience for anything. The conversations that we had - both case and non-case related - allowed me to understand that we are much more similar than different. I will forever be mindful of this insight as I move forward in my academic and professional career.