vol. XVI no. 1

				Robinson's EMBA study trip takes the student experience to a new level. Embedded in the Great Wall of China are many clues about the Chinese - their history, their culture, their psyches, even their commerce. The Great Wall, stretching some 4,500 miles from the mountains of Korea to the Gobi Desert, originally was built to keep out marauding Mongols from the north. In actuality, this engineering feat comprised a series of smaller walls that, while formidable, were not impregnable. A determined person (or army) could walk around these shorter walls or, better yet, bribe a way through the portals. As the Great Wall endured and grew, it became more than a barrier, evolving into a symbol of China's ingenuity and will. During the Ming Dynasty, the age of the greatest wall builders, China became a world economic power, exporting porcelain, silk, spices and tea to Europe and the South Seas. Today, as China is poised once again to attain economic superpower status, the lessons of the Great Wall still apply. Capitalism has come to China, going not over the wall but through the portals by invitation. While the government in Beijing is pledging itself firmly to communist doctrine, the doorkeepers in Shanghai are welcoming foreigners and their investments. Shanghai is the economic center of China Shanghai is one of Regents' Professor Emeritus Harvey Brightman's favorite cities, reminding him of New York City just after World War II. Brightman not only teaches courses in decision sciences in the Robinson College Executive MBA program but also spends six weeks each year teaching at the China Europe International Business School in Shanghai. A relatively new city by Chinese standards - about 150 years old - Shanghai is the economic center of China, a hub of entrepreneurial and financial activity, according to Brightman. "The communists have given Shanghai permission to do what it wants," he said. "When you visit there, you don't feel the heavy hand of communism." Shanghai is one of the destinations of an upcoming EMBA international study trip to China and Thailand. Associate Professor Sevgin Eroglu, who is one of the organizers of the trip, finds Shanghai to be a "city that doesn't sleep. It has an energy that took me by surprise," she said. "Even at 1 a.m., it's not uncommon to see construction crews working because they run shifts around the clock. You feel a swarm of people creating an urgency to succeed. With their sheer numbers and work ethic, they will get where they want to be," she predicted. While the EMBA program has a long history of organizing study trips to the Far East, this is its first major foray into China. The decision to take the program to China is purposeful, recognizing the country's emergence in the world marketplace. "China has been getting a lot of attention because of its exploding economy," remarked Preston Wilson, associate dean for executive education. "With a population of more than a billion people, the country represents a great area of growth in the next 10 to 20 years." "If you don't know about China, you're at a serious disadvantage in today's marketplace," Brightman added. The travel is no international junket An EMBA contingency of close to 60 people departs from Atlanta in May, bound for Bangkok, Beijing and Shanghai. (NOTE: trip postponed by SARS. See related news article.) During the 14-day trip, the group will visit a variety of companies - from small local concerns to multinational corporations - as well as important cultural landmarks. In addition to observing the people and practices of these countries, students also will hear presentations on the social fabric, technology, infrastructure, politics and culture of Thailand and China - all of which will be connected by faculty experts to the business ethics and practices of those countries. The travel is no international junket. Months of intensive preparation by faculty, administrators and students make this trip an eye-opening lesson in transacting business in the global economy. Planning for the upcoming trip began almost a year ago with EMBA directors and faculty targeting not only two different countries to offer a comparison in cultural business practices but also the most promising companies in those countries. China expert and Global Scholar of International Business Bob Oxnam gave the Robinson program an entrée to the many business relationships he has cultivated in China during the past three decades, (see related story.) In late October, Wilson, Eroglu and Oxnam made an advance trip to Thailand and China to scout potential host companies and make formal arrangements with those they found to be a good match. "We wanted a cross-section of companies, both in terms of size and ownership, as well as companies representing a variety of industries from high tech to manufacturing to services," Eroglu explained. "We also wanted to include firms that demonstrate cutting-edge and innovative strategies and production." Finally, the planners needed to locate businesses that could accommodate their large numbers. One student in particular will have an insider's advantage. Rengen Li, supplier diversity manager for Coca-Cola in Atlanta, previously worked at Coca-Cola in Shanghai as director of training and is a native of the countryside near Shanghai. Despite his familiarity with both the company and the country, Li believes he will gain an understanding of many new aspects of Coca-Cola on the EMBA trip. "When I was in Shanghai, I was the training man, not the businessman," Li noted. "Through the program, I am focused on systematically learning the business side. I think this trip will let me see the Coca-Cola business from a totally different perspective with a new set of eyes." A superior interenational experience This year marks the 21st anniversary of Robinson EMBA study trips around the globe, from Japan and Malaysia to Argentina and Colombia. However, the upcoming spring trip takes the offering to a new level. Instead of the traditional 11-day, two-city tour, this year's visit will cover 14 days of visits in three cities. Students will spend a full two days in immersion classes rather than the half-day previously offered. "Most of the top 20 business schools have some international exposure built into their curricula, but that may range from visiting a couple of countries to a wine tasting," said Bill Woolery, associate director of executive programs. "What the Robinson EMBA offers is a superior international experience with attention paid to the global marketplace in every course." From the outset, the Robinson College EMBA built a strong international component into the program. Early on, organizers recognized the importance of providing students with the educational grounding to compete internationally, and globalization runs throughout the curriculum. This attention to internationalism is one reason the editors of BusinessWeek have named the Robinson EMBA as one of the top 20 programs in the world. The international component is an essential prerequisite for an MBA today. "The economies of the world are converging," said Wilson. "You can see that just by looking closely at your car. A few years ago, you'd see bumper stickers that read ŒBuy American.' Today, if you look under the hood of your car - even American cars - I challenge you to find 100 percent American-manufactured parts." The value of the EMBA trip is enabling students to get next to the people of another country. "Just watching the Japanese get on and off the subway taught me so much," Wilson added. "It's a rush-rush society with every person for himself. You have to go there to appreciate that perspective." Phillip Ford, an EMBA student who will graduate this spring, well understands that perspective as a veteran international business traveler. As COO of Astroturf manufacturing, he frequently travels abroad to talk with buyers about his company and its products. In the past year, Astroturf did more business abroad than domestically. Ford's job is easier for having participated in a 2002 EMBA trip to Thailand and Singapore. "The biggest thing I learned from that trip was the cultural differences in different countries and how to prepare myself for the role culture plays in business," he commented. Traveling abroad is an indispensable prerequisite Mark Palazzo, MBA '02 and vice president of access networks at Scientific-Atlanta, believes that traveling abroad is an indispensable prerequisite for preparing for international business. Last year, Palazzo accompanied his Executive MBA class to Thailand and Singapore and studied in detail an Internet software company in Singapore. Now, he travels extensively throughout Asia for Scientific-Atlanta. "The perception is nothing like the real environment," Palazzo said. "Books do little to teach you about how to transact business in a foreign country." Brightman, a veteran instructor of international students, endorses Palazzo's perspective. "Most students are experiential learners," he agreed. "When they see it, they know it. It's the difference between reading about the Kenyan Reserve in National Geographic and going there and seeing it yourself. The reading is an intellectual activity. The going combines the intellect as well as emotion, the whole self." Top

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