Tommy Chenoweth, Cox MBA Marketing, Class 2009
Day 5 - Hong Kong
We
start the day with an extravagant breakfast buffet in our premier
Beijing hotel. We then leave for company visits to Ernst & Young and
Caterpillar, where we have the opportunity to meet with U.S.
expatriates that are working abroad in executive level positions. In
each visit our group learns about how U.S. companies conduct business in
China, as well as firsthand knowledge about living in China as a U.S.
expatriate. On our GLP trip we not only learn about business in China
from top executives, but we also experience different cultural
activities, which expose us to the city life in China. For example, one
evening we walked from our hotel to Tiananmen Square, which connects to
the Forbidden City. Definitely an unforgettable sight! The combined
history and beauty of this setting make for an excellent sunset.
Afterwards, we end the day with a traditional Beijing Duck dinner before
hitting the town for some late night festivities.
Teza Mukkavilli and Sanjeev Sridharan, MBA - Class of 2009
We
start the day with an extravagant breakfast buffet in our premier
Beijing hotel. We then leave for company visits to Ernst & Young and
Caterpillar, where we have the opportunity to meet with U.S.
expatriates that are working abroad in executive level positions. In
each visit our group learns about how U.S. companies conduct business in
China, as well as firsthand knowledge about living in China as a U.S.
expatriate. On our GLP trip we not only learn about business in China
from top executives, but we also experience different cultural
activities, which expose us to the city life in China. For example, one
evening we walked from our hotel to Tiananmen Square, which connects to
the Forbidden City. Definitely an unforgettable sight! The combined
history and beauty of this setting make for an excellent sunset.
Afterwards, we end the day with a traditional Beijing Duck dinner before
hitting the town for some late night festivities.
Teza Mukkavilli and Sanjeev Sridharan, MBA - Class of 2009
Teza Mukkavilli and Sanjeev Sridharan, MBA - Class of 2009
GLP……Two weeks that I will never forget
Run up to GLP….
Apart
from being a great school, something that really attracted me to Cox
was the GLP program. GLP experience was something that no one forgot to
mention when I was talking to a couple of alumni from Cox. I was really
excited to be a part of this wonderful GLP experience, when I decided to
come to SMU Cox.
GLP signup is the first step where student gets
to choose which place he wants to go. This process starts pretty quick,
almost 2 months into the program. We had the choice to select from 4
regions; East Asia - Tokyo, Beijing and Shanghai; Greater China –
Taipei, Hong Kong, and Shanghai; India- Mumbai, New Delhi and Bangalore;
Europe – London, Frankfurt and Madrid. Coming from India and having
worked in Europe before coming to school, my choice was East Asia and
Greater China. After a careful review, the GLP office allocates us to
various regions based on our choice and how best the learning from the
region will help us. I was lucky to get into the East Asia group.
During
spring the GLP preparation starts to gather pace. The four groups
undertake classes once every week to understand the culture and language
insights on the region we are visiting. I never knew “Ni Hao Ma” means
“how are you?” in Chinese till I went for these classes. It always fun
when you go to non-English speaking places and try your half broken
local language skills. The perception of having fun on the trip is
quickly encompasses with the amount of research, presentation and
reading we do before the trip. Though a little painful initially its
invaluable when we go on the GLP trip. Weeks before the trip start
getting on nerve; thinking of cameras, clothes, dry cleaned suits for
the trip combined with the exhaustive list of assignments and finals for
the last module subjects will be a nail biting dash.
I worked in
my first year as Graduate Assistant in Global Programs office which
overseas the GLP program. This helped me get firsthand knowledge into
the kind of work that goes into selecting regions and companies in order
to provide a holistic experience to students, which is truly a
remarkable effort.
GLP……Two weeks that I will never forget
Run up to GLP….
Apart from being a great school, something that really attracted me to Cox was the GLP program. GLP experience was something that no one forgot to mention when I was talking to a couple of alumni from Cox. I was really excited to be a part of this wonderful GLP experience, when I decided to come to SMU Cox.
GLP signup is the first step where student gets to choose which place he wants to go. This process starts pretty quick, almost 2 months into the program. We had the choice to select from 4 regions; East Asia - Tokyo, Beijing and Shanghai; Greater China – Taipei, Hong Kong, and Shanghai; India- Mumbai, New Delhi and Bangalore; Europe – London, Frankfurt and Madrid. Coming from India and having worked in Europe before coming to school, my choice was East Asia and Greater China. After a careful review, the GLP office allocates us to various regions based on our choice and how best the learning from the region will help us. I was lucky to get into the East Asia group.
During spring the GLP preparation starts to gather pace. The four groups undertake classes once every week to understand the culture and language insights on the region we are visiting. I never knew “Ni Hao Ma” means “how are you?” in Chinese till I went for these classes. It always fun when you go to non-English speaking places and try your half broken local language skills. The perception of having fun on the trip is quickly encompasses with the amount of research, presentation and reading we do before the trip. Though a little painful initially its invaluable when we go on the GLP trip. Weeks before the trip start getting on nerve; thinking of cameras, clothes, dry cleaned suits for the trip combined with the exhaustive list of assignments and finals for the last module subjects will be a nail biting dash.
I worked in my first year as Graduate Assistant in Global Programs office which overseas the GLP program. This helped me get firsthand knowledge into the kind of work that goes into selecting regions and companies in order to provide a holistic experience to students, which is truly a remarkable effort.
Run up to GLP….
Apart from being a great school, something that really attracted me to Cox was the GLP program. GLP experience was something that no one forgot to mention when I was talking to a couple of alumni from Cox. I was really excited to be a part of this wonderful GLP experience, when I decided to come to SMU Cox.
GLP signup is the first step where student gets to choose which place he wants to go. This process starts pretty quick, almost 2 months into the program. We had the choice to select from 4 regions; East Asia - Tokyo, Beijing and Shanghai; Greater China – Taipei, Hong Kong, and Shanghai; India- Mumbai, New Delhi and Bangalore; Europe – London, Frankfurt and Madrid. Coming from India and having worked in Europe before coming to school, my choice was East Asia and Greater China. After a careful review, the GLP office allocates us to various regions based on our choice and how best the learning from the region will help us. I was lucky to get into the East Asia group.
During spring the GLP preparation starts to gather pace. The four groups undertake classes once every week to understand the culture and language insights on the region we are visiting. I never knew “Ni Hao Ma” means “how are you?” in Chinese till I went for these classes. It always fun when you go to non-English speaking places and try your half broken local language skills. The perception of having fun on the trip is quickly encompasses with the amount of research, presentation and reading we do before the trip. Though a little painful initially its invaluable when we go on the GLP trip. Weeks before the trip start getting on nerve; thinking of cameras, clothes, dry cleaned suits for the trip combined with the exhaustive list of assignments and finals for the last module subjects will be a nail biting dash.
I worked in my first year as Graduate Assistant in Global Programs office which overseas the GLP program. This helped me get firsthand knowledge into the kind of work that goes into selecting regions and companies in order to provide a holistic experience to students, which is truly a remarkable effort.
Theodore Postula, Cox MBA GLP Asia 2008
May 3-7: Taipei
We’re
hosted by Cathay Life, and insurance company, who let us stay at their
corporate training center. Sunday is a free day and those of us who are
awake head to Taipei 101, currently the tallest building in the world
(until it is surpassed by the Burj Dubai). Amazing engineering - we ride
in pressurized elevators traveling almost 40 mph to reach the 89th
floor in 37 seconds. The observation deck reveals a 660 ton
counterbalance that keeps the building stable during periods of high
winds or earthquakes. In the evening, we explore the Shilin night market
for shopping and a taste of the local culinary flavor.
During
the next few days we visit with companies such as Compal, which
assembles laptops for several western brands and AU Optronics, a leading
manufacturer of LCD televisions. I really enjoy the presentation from
TSMC, the world’s largest pure-play semiconductor foundry. Companies
around the world design microprocessors and then send the designs to
TSMC for production, where they create computer chips on a scale not
much larger than a single atom.
May 8-10: Hong Kong
We’re
hosted by Cathay Life, and insurance company, who let us stay at their
corporate training center. Sunday is a free day and those of us who are
awake head to Taipei 101, currently the tallest building in the world
(until it is surpassed by the Burj Dubai). Amazing engineering - we ride
in pressurized elevators traveling almost 40 mph to reach the 89th
floor in 37 seconds. The observation deck reveals a 660 ton
counterbalance that keeps the building stable during periods of high
winds or earthquakes. In the evening, we explore the Shilin night market
for shopping and a taste of the local culinary flavor.
During the next few days we visit with companies such as Compal, which assembles laptops for several western brands and AU Optronics, a leading manufacturer of LCD televisions. I really enjoy the presentation from TSMC, the world’s largest pure-play semiconductor foundry. Companies around the world design microprocessors and then send the designs to TSMC for production, where they create computer chips on a scale not much larger than a single atom.
May 8-10: Hong Kong
During the next few days we visit with companies such as Compal, which assembles laptops for several western brands and AU Optronics, a leading manufacturer of LCD televisions. I really enjoy the presentation from TSMC, the world’s largest pure-play semiconductor foundry. Companies around the world design microprocessors and then send the designs to TSMC for production, where they create computer chips on a scale not much larger than a single atom.
May 8-10: Hong Kong
We
depart the urban sprawl of Taipei for the concentrated development of
Hong Kong, the first city I’ve seen that gives Manhattan a run for its
money. Nightlife in the ex-pat filled Lan Quai Fong area is also quite
memorable. That night, we dine at a restaurant across from a fish market
where you pick out live seafood, then take it across the street to be
cooked. One of the best company visits is Li and Fung, a clothing
manufacturer that supplies many of the top US brands. What I thought was
a low-tech, labor-intensive business is actually a very sophisticated,
globally integrated operation that encompasses logistics, demand
forecasting, rapid responsiveness, and outsourcing to the highest
degree. The company headquarters has a boardroom that is set up just
like an American MBA case classroom to facilitate discussion. I realize
that Asian firms are partnering with (and competing with) American firms
on many more dimensions than just being the low cost leader.
We
depart the urban sprawl of Taipei for the concentrated development of
Hong Kong, the first city I’ve seen that gives Manhattan a run for its
money. Nightlife in the ex-pat filled Lan Quai Fong area is also quite
memorable. That night, we dine at a restaurant across from a fish market
where you pick out live seafood, then take it across the street to be
cooked. One of the best company visits is Li and Fung, a clothing
manufacturer that supplies many of the top US brands. What I thought was
a low-tech, labor-intensive business is actually a very sophisticated,
globally integrated operation that encompasses logistics, demand
forecasting, rapid responsiveness, and outsourcing to the highest
degree. The company headquarters has a boardroom that is set up just
like an American MBA case classroom to facilitate discussion. I realize
that Asian firms are partnering with (and competing with) American firms
on many more dimensions than just being the low cost leader.
May 11-12: Shenzhen
Back
on the tour bus, we drive from Hong Kong into mainland China – it’s a
stark contrast with the glitz of downtown Hong Kong, more like an
industrial office park that stretches for miles. The local Wal-Mart
manager gives us a tour of his store and while it is similar to the big
box retailer over here, there are some items I haven’t seen before –
such as Wal-Mart private label brand wine, and live turtles in the
seafood section.
Back
on the tour bus, we drive from Hong Kong into mainland China – it’s a
stark contrast with the glitz of downtown Hong Kong, more like an
industrial office park that stretches for miles. The local Wal-Mart
manager gives us a tour of his store and while it is similar to the big
box retailer over here, there are some items I haven’t seen before –
such as Wal-Mart private label brand wine, and live turtles in the
seafood section.
May 13-15: Shanghai
Although I am a
pretty adventurous eater, by this point in the trip I am glad that we
can start the day with a traditional American breakfast. We attend a
presentation by a consulting firm that specializes in tracking and
shutting down counterfeit manufacturers. If the street vendors in
Shenzhen were any indication, China still has room for improvement on
its protection of intellectual property rights. We also visit the Mary
Kay cosmetics factory and learn that the direct-sales model was actually
outlawed in China for several years, which has since been changed. And
of course, no trip to Shanghai would be complete without shopping on the
Bund.
As quickly as the trip began, it comes to an end as we
pack up for the last time and head to the airport. Connecting through
Chicago, it feels good to be back home. A few days later, most of us
have recovered from the jet lag and we prepare our final trip
presentation for the Dean and the rest of the class.
Although I am a
pretty adventurous eater, by this point in the trip I am glad that we
can start the day with a traditional American breakfast. We attend a
presentation by a consulting firm that specializes in tracking and
shutting down counterfeit manufacturers. If the street vendors in
Shenzhen were any indication, China still has room for improvement on
its protection of intellectual property rights. We also visit the Mary
Kay cosmetics factory and learn that the direct-sales model was actually
outlawed in China for several years, which has since been changed. And
of course, no trip to Shanghai would be complete without shopping on the
Bund.
As quickly as the trip began, it comes to an end as we pack up for the last time and head to the airport. Connecting through Chicago, it feels good to be back home. A few days later, most of us have recovered from the jet lag and we prepare our final trip presentation for the Dean and the rest of the class.
As quickly as the trip began, it comes to an end as we pack up for the last time and head to the airport. Connecting through Chicago, it feels good to be back home. A few days later, most of us have recovered from the jet lag and we prepare our final trip presentation for the Dean and the rest of the class.
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