11-05-04
Behrend Students Experience China in the Global Economy
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Ken Louie, associate
professor of economics, was uniquely qualified to lead Penn State
Behrend students on a trip to China last summer. In addition to living
there for the first four years of his life, he spent two years there
as a visiting scholar in 1997 and 1998. Those two years, the first as
a visiting professor at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center and the second as a
Fulbright Scholar, gave him the insight and the personal connections
needed to create an exciting and educational trip for twenty-five.
"There is a great experiment now in progress in China," said Louie.
"China is moving toward a free market economy and capitalism, yet they
still have a very centralized political system. The question to study
is, can a country exist with a centralized political system and a free
market economy? And will the effects of that free market economy
eventually result in a loosening of political control? This trip was a
great opportunity for students to address those questions and to gain
a better understanding of China's growing role in the contemporary
global economic and political arenas."
The trip was part of a three-credit course offered by the Black School
of Business titled "China in the Global Economy: History, Culture, and
Society," which Louie taught during Penn State Behrend's four-week
summer session. The title of the class reflects his belief that
understanding a country's economy is shaped by an understanding of its
history, culture, and society. By varying the depth of their
assignments, he made the course work appropriate for the fourteen
undergraduates in business, MBA students, and even nonbusiness
students who took the course for credit. Students prepared for the
trip by viewing a series of videotapes and discussing a variety of
issues, including ways in which society affects business.
Louie's primary contact in developing an itinerary for the trip was
Fay Nanyin, a former student at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center, a joint
venture of Johns Hopkins University and Nanjing University, and now
director of development at the China Europe International Business
School (CEIBS). In her current position she teaches graduate students
about all things American-economy, politics, and culture-and she
interacts with many of the visitors to CEIBS, so she is
well-positioned to propose a travel schedule. Students on the trip
listened to a lecture on the evolution of Sino-American relations
given by Professor Ren Donglai, a faculty member at the Hopkins-Nanjing
Center and an expert on U.S.-China relations.
The group arrived first in Shanghai, the financial center of China.
Over the next five days they visited GE Lighting, Bright Dairy, the
Shanghai Stock Exchange, CEIBS, Zhangjiang High-Tech Park, and Eli
Lilly Company. Louie gives credit to his former graduate students in
China for help in setting up the tour, and he had an opportunity to
see some of them at the places the group visited. The group also
traveled to Beijing, the political center of China, where they viewed
the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, the Great Wall, the Ming
Tombs, the Summer Palace, and the Beijing Zoo.
"Given the cultural gaps that exist, the students on the trip adapted
remarkably well to life in China," Louie reported. He said the group
moved freely around the country, with no restriction in travel and no
government clearances required. They had a skybox at the Shanghai
Stock Exchange and talked openly to managers at all the companies they
visited.
Louie required each student to keep a daily log during the journey as
a basis for three required papers: a personal reflection; a paper on
one particular current problem facing China; and a research paper on
one specific aspect of China's place in the global economy. There was
a hefty reading list on the course syllabus, and all papers were due
three weeks after the group returned.
Louie's learning goals for students on the tour emphasized four main
areas: cultural understanding of the people and their history; the
importance of U.S. technology in shaping Chinese economic development;
the economic and social advancement of women in business; and the
factors that affect business management and marketing strategies in
China.
"The Chinese were very proud of their country and wanted us to learn
everything we could about it," said Lindsay Graygo, a student who took
the trip as part of her MBA program. "I was impressed by the fact that
women made presentations to us at three of the locations we visited.
At Eli Lilly their human resources manager taught us how they market
both Chinese and American products. It's different because they don't
have a Federal Drug Administration like we do."
Graygo said that during her trip she often heard the Chinese proverb,
"Women hold up half the sky," and saw that in business, that's often
true.
"At the Zhangjiang High-Tech Park the woman who spoke to us said that
although the park was Chinese, it was a joint venture and there were a
variety of investors from other countries," Graygo noted. "The woman
at the dairy, a right-hand person to the CEO, was incredibly
knowledgeable about business, discussing profitability and marketing.
Because the Chinese have not traditionally been milk-drinkers, they
have tried to market yogurt and cheese more than milk, but milk is
catching on as the Chinese are becoming more aware of western
culture."
Following the trip, Louie expressed an interest in starting an
international business club and offering workshops for students who
have an interest in international business and travel. One of the
participants in this year's trip gave him all the travel guides he had
purchased, creating a resource base for students who may want to take
the trip in future years.
"We'll have to assess interest in future trips," he said, "and allow
enough time to plan and prepare. This year's experience was very
positive, and I look forward to involving more students in travel to
China."
The trip was partly supported by a grant from Penn State's Office of
International Programs and by matching funds from the Sam and Irene
Black School of Business. Given the success of this trip, he plans to
apply for additional grants from other sources such as the U.S.
Department of Education and the Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad
Program.
In the meantime, he keeps in touch with the students he taught in
China, and looks forward to new and interesting opportunities to
involve his American students in travel abroad.
Contact: Loretta Brandon, 814-898-6063, lzb6@psu.edu