• Skip to Content
  • Skip to Sidebar
IU

Indiana University Indiana University IU

IU Kelley School of Business at IUPUIGo from Moment to Momentum

The Power Of The MBA China Trip

Posted on March 4, 2014 by Teresa Mackin

By: Chance Hair

Early and often in my Indiana University Kelley School of Business Evening MBA courses, I heard of the opportunity to take a class that included a trip abroad. This was described as a unique experience that would not be available anywhere after graduating because of the access into foreign companies for high level meetings and an actual consulting project for their firm. I told myself I needed to find a way to participate in one of these trips. I am so thankful I made that hope into a reality by taking D546 “China in Transition” and traveling through China in July, 2013.

The course, led by the Professor of International Strategic Management, Marjorie Lyles, benefited from her years of experience on the ground in China, her contacts with corporate leaders there, and the numerous expert speakers she brought to us during the pre-trip classes. Being able to study the entire culture, macroeconomic conditions, current events, and our specific industry and company before departure provided insightful perspectives when consulting the client firm.

Our trip highlights included about a week in Beijing: with a few days at top cultural sites like The Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, and The Forbidden City [photo included]; and several days in small group meetings with top executives at technology, banking, legal, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, and consulting firms, as well as, government officials; and immersion into the local food via numerous delicious meals beyond my expectations!

The over ten days in Guangzhou included: a few days of tourism activities with a night cruise on the river, tours of the city, and several shopping opportunities; an intense program, sponsored by the City University of Hong Kong MBA, of directly interviewing company executives at our client firm using language interpreters to translate the conversations; and the creation and presentation of a professional project recommending improvements to their quality management across the organization in front of an audience of company executives at Guangzhou Baiyunshan Pharmaceutical. The final day in Hong Kong taking in the views and leisure was a perfect culmination for the hard work and long days that were completed!

While this course was a huge investment of time, effort, and money, it is definitely a top highlight of my MBA career that jumps off the page of any resume or cover letter I write. Because of the scholarship/fellowship available, the final costs were reasonable and were primarily the travel expenses. I would recommend making one of these MBA trips abroad to anyone interested in strengthening their MBA with international business, building their professional portfolio, and/or wanting to maximize the resources of the Kelley School of Business while still a student. So, study hard, travel safe, and have fun!

 

Filed under: Evening MBA Program, Study Abroad

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Additional Content

About the Kelley School at IUPUI

The Kelley School of Business at IUPUI is home to a full-time undergraduate program and five graduate programs, including a graduate certificate for healthcare professionals, master’s programs in accounting and taxation, the Business of Medicine Physician MBA and the Evening MBA, which is ranked ninth in the country by U.S. News & World Report.

Categories

Search Posts

Receive Updates

Get the latest news from the Kelley School's Indianapolis programs, faculty, students and alumni delivered directly to your Inbox

Please, insert a valid email.

Thank you, your email will be added to the mailing list once you click on the link in the confirmation email.

Spam protection has stopped this request. Please contact site owner for help.

This form is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent Posts

  • Seven Kelley students named to IUPUI’s Top 100 April 1, 2021
  • American Association for Physician Leadership partners with Indiana University Kelley School of Business March 15, 2021
  • The 2021 economic rebound: Prepare to feel the “G’s” March 8, 2021
  • Learn what you live? New research shows watching others can reduce decision bias February 11, 2021
  • Tobias Leadership Center announces 2021 cohort of Tobias Fellows February 1, 2021

See Archived Posts

Media Requests

If you have a media request for faculty at the IU Kelley School of Business at IUPUI, please contact Teresa Mackin at tmackin@iu.edu or 317-274-2233.

Full list of faculty based in Indianapolis.

Indiana University

Copyright © 2018 The Trustees of Indiana University | Privacy Notice | Accessibility Help

Subscribe

Subscribe By Email

Get a weekly email of all new posts.

This form is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.