KU News Release

June 21, 2007
Contact: Justin Lueger, School of Business, (785) 864-9540.

China becomes two-week classroom for KU graduate students

LAWRENCE — A group of graduate students at the University of Kansas School of Business have discovered first-hand why China is such a dominant player in today’s global economy.

From May 19 to June 1, the master’s of business administration students traveled in China and met with managers and executives at U.S.- and Chinese-owned firms in Beijing and Shanghai. Nineteen students toured textile manufacturing plants and listened in on the latest plans for Beijing’s Internet promotion of the 2008 Olympic Games. They visited with China-based executives of Kansas firms such as Black & Veatch and Invista, owned by Koch Industries, to learn about adapting U.S. businesses to Chinese corporate and social culture.

“It seems like almost every business is global,” said Mark Randall Best, Larned second-year MBA student. “It’s really good, especially for MBA students, to see businesses from a different perspective. You learn so much more when you’re actually there first-hand.”

Students researched the firms they visited before traveling to China and gave presentations to fellow MBA students and KU faculty after they returned. The research, trip and subsequent presentations were all part of the Business in China class taught by Jane Zhao, assistant professor of management.

“We had a very thorough preparation,” which allowed the students to obtain deeper insights from the Chinese managers, Zhao said. “If you can survive in China, you can survive any other place,” Zhao noted of the unique business environment in China.

In addition to Zhao, who set up many of the corporate visits, Doug Houston, director of finance, economics and decision sciences, accompanied the students in China.

The United States’ interest in China has moved well beyond basic manufacturing — the industry sector to which many U.S. businesses outsource jobs. Companies from around the world are now focused on developing partnerships with Chinese firms, which is the key to survival in the 21st century, Houston said.

Business in China is “not just a matter of cheap labor, but having extremely effective management and people,” Houston said. “China is a more complicated and diverse place than people give it credit for. It’s a good place to have an educational presence.”

KU’s School of Business and Center for International Business Education and Research sponsored and organized the trip. MBA students receive several opportunities during their graduate studies to take academic trips across the world to places such as China, Italy or Latin America.

The business school is considering trips to India and Brazil in the next several years.

Future employers often look favorably on international experience, and costs for the study abroad trips often stay reasonable.

“What you get out of the trip far exceeds the cost to go,” Best said. “You can’t expect to just graduate from the MBA program and just remain where you are the rest of your life.”

Students who traveled to China are listed below by hometown and previous education.

DOUGLAS COUNTY
From Lawrence 66044
Sean DeCoursey, master’s degree student in business administration; bachelor’s degree from Truman State University.

Christina Spires, master’s degree student in business administration; bachelor’s degree in business from KU; Augusta High School.

From Lawrence 66047
Brian Mellor, master’s degree student in business administration; bachelor’s degree in English from KU; Shawnee Mission East High School.

JEFFERSON COUNTY
From Perry 66073
Erin Easum, master’s degree student in business administration; bachelor’s degree in business from KU; Perry-Lecompton High School.

JOHNSON COUNTY
From Leawood 66209
Matthew Majerle, master’s degree student in business administration, son of James and Colette Majerle; bachelor’s degree from KU; Blue Valley North High School.

Marcella Vasconcellos, master’s degree student in business administration; bachelor’s degree in journalism from KU.

From Olathe 66062
Thomas Stripling, master’s degree student in business administration; bachelor’s degree from Stanford University.

From Overland Park 66223
Manish Chowdhury, master’s degree student in business administration; bachelor’s degree from Osmania University.

James Jones, master’s degree student in business administration; bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.

From Overland Park 66120
Bruce Goldstein, master’s degree student in business administration; bachelor’s degree from American University.

From Overland Park 66207
Melonie Loeb, master’s degree student in business administration; bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas-Austin.

Dinesh Ramanathan, master’s degree student in business administration; bachelor’s degree from KU.

PAWNEE COUNTY
From Larned 67550
Mark Best, master’s degree student in business administration, son of Michael and Elizabeth Best; bachelor’s degree in business from KU; Larned High School.

LOUISIANA
From New Orleans 70118
Adam Ross, master’s degree student in business administration; bachelor’s degree from Tulane University.

NEW HAMPSHIRE
From Plymouth 03264
Curt Freyhofer, master’s degree student in business administration; bachelor’s degree from KU; Plymouth Regional High School.

COSTA RICA
From San Jose
Esteban Donato Garita Canet, master’s degree student in business administration.

FRANCE
From Paris
Raphaelle Mellini, master’s degree student in business administration, daughter of Didier Mellini.

TAIWAN
From Luodong Township, Yilan County
Cheng-fu Wu, master’s degree student in business administration.

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