Business in China : Reviews (Beijing)
The following program review responses have been selected for publication by Study Abroad & Global Engagement
Rate Your Study Abroad Program!
Summer 2016 Participant
Visiting the Great Wall of China was so much fun!
Summer 2016 Participant
We were able to visit Kansas-based companies and it was very interesting to see how the firms conduct business across the globe.
Summer 2017 Participant
My favorite part of this experience was being able to travlel to a part of the world I wouldn't have ever thought to visit on my own. Also, this program made sure to educate the student on China's culture, not just all about business.
Sabrina Michelle Castillo,
Summer 2017 Participant
My favorite part was that we visited 3 different cities on our trip. Each one was different and really showed how big of a country China is. The cities we visited were huge and it was hard to imagine that the population of one city can be so big.
Summer 2017 Participant
My favorite part of the program was being able to become immersed into the local culture. Meaning that I was given the oppurtunity to explore different neighborhoods and subcultures within the cities we were in.
Michelle Pope,
Summer 2017 Participant
My favorite part of the program was the balance of cultural and business related experiences.
Summer 2018 Participant
Walking the Great Wall was definitely the most amazing part of the trip! The views were breathtaking!
Harrison David Quinn,
Summer 2018 Participant
My favorite part of the program was being able to be fully immersed into the Chinese culture. Dan did a fantastic job by combining structured company visits, cultural activities, and enjoying the freedom to explore a foreign country.
Kurtis Joseph Rood,
Summer 2018 Participant
My favorite part of the program was meeting the entire group and going through the experiences together. The professor was amazing and I am confident in saying that I am walking away from this experience with a group of friends I would never have met.
Alexander Joseph Dwyer,
Summer 2019 Participant
The best part about this program is that it is structured, yet independent. You have enough structure to feel secured in your location, yet you have the independence to go out and experience the country, and the culture.
Summer 2019 Participant
The program was well organized and the instructors/faculty showed great flexibility in making last minute adjustments whenever things were affected due to unforeseen circumstances.
Summer 2012 Participant
I found the most rewarding part of the program was having Chinese natives lead the trip. Tailan and Kathy were tremendous resources since they knew the language and culture. With their guidance I feel that we were able to gain a much deeper understanding of China then the traditional visitor could accomplish on their own.
Summer 2016 Participant
Having two professors join us for the trip, one native to China and the other having previously worked in China, gave us great viewpoints of the culture there.
Summer 2016 Participant
The cultural experiences and excursions were unforgettable. We really immersed ourselves in the various cities and towns. We saw such beautiful sites including The Great Wall and Victoria Peak.
Summer 2017 Participant
Meeting high up executives at different companies helped me gain a greater sense of what business is like in China.
Sabrina Michelle Castillo,
Summer 2017 Participant
I found that visiting all different types of companies was very rewarding. We didn't have an emphasis for the program so we visited many different companies from supply chain to accounting to manufacturing and everything in between. I learned a lot about business in China and how they relate to the US.
Summer 2017 Participant
The most rewarding part of this experience was exchanging gifts from each company that we visited. This showed how both parties valued each others time.
Summer 2017 Participant
I found the Q&A section of the post company meeting most rewarding, because I received sound career advice and saw the things I am learning in the classroom being implemented in real world instances.
Summer 2017 Participant
The most rewarding part was leaving feeling like I had gained immense skills and grown significantly as a person. I left having a better appreciation for diversity and left wanting to return home to branch out of my comfort zone.
Michelle Pope,
Summer 2017 Participant
The most rewarding part of the trip was the opportunities to visit companies outside of my industry and learn how they do business in China.
Summer 2018 Participant
The most rewarding part of the program was being able to meet with companies and get valuable information and experiences from them.
Jennifer McIntyre,
Summer 2018 Participant
I thought visiting all the companies that were specifically located/headquartered in areas of Kansas was very rewarding because many of us on the trip had interest in working for some of these companies. It was nice to gain perspective on how they operated overseas.
Jeremy L Radford,
Summer 2018 Participant
What I found most rewarding about this program was experiencing first hand all of the differences between China and the United States. Another great part about this program was the opportunities to bond with fellow classmates and instructors.
Taylor D Rose,
Summer 2018 Participant
The company visits were by far the most rewarding of the trip. We got an extremely good insight to China's business policies and how these companies are successful there. I believe that what we learned in the meetings are insights that we could only have gotten through this experience.
Summer 2019 Participant
I loved how we got to make real world connections with business professionals in China and see how business works on that side of the globe.
Denise Prisca Fernandes,
Summer 2012 Participant
There is an ocean of cultures out there in the world that we have yet to experience in terms of customs, traditions and even businesses for that matter. Opportunities are not only confined to one country. It is also important to be aware of one's own culture before venturing out to experience other cultures. Understanding and respecting a culture plays a big role in knowing how and why things are the way they are in the country.
Summer 2012 Participant
China is a topic that comes up repeatedly in class but this does not compare to experiencing it first hand. It was very interesting to hear the thoughts and opinions of Chinese businessmen and professors as they present issues we discussed in class but from entirely different perspectives.
Summer 2012 Participant
The true version of what China really is. Prior to the study abroad, I assumed that China was more or less a dictatorial state. Instead of this, I found the people to be extremely warm and there wasn't a hint of oppression. In fact, you will see more armed security guards and military personnel in the U.S. Nor was there communist propaganda on billboards throughout the country.
Summer 2016 Participant
When visiting another country, immerse yourself in the culture! Don't be judgemental of the people or disgusted by the food, try it all and have an open mind!
Summer 2016 Participant
There are many similarities and differences in how business in conducted in China. It was helpful to see that many American companies face issues with regulations and lack of guanxi. However, many U.S. companies have learned to use relationships and supportive organizations to make moves in the Chinese market.
Summer 2017 Participant
It's totally worth doing a program that is different than many others. In my opinion this was an amazing experience that benefited me long term rather than just having fun in Europe for a semester.
Sabrina Michelle Castillo,
Summer 2017 Participant
Going to Asia was a complete culture shock. It was kind of difficult not knowing the language and communication could be hard. Before you go, make sure to learn some basic phrases to help get you around!
Summer 2017 Participant
I learned about how successful KC companies are on a global scale. If I was better informed about this, I would've been more ecstatic to go onto the program.
Summer 2017 Participant
I learned to branch out and not be afraid to take a different path on my study abroad experience.
Summer 2017 Participant
I learned how to better communicate with business people in a professional setting and ask thoughtful questions. But not only was it just normal business people, it was international business men and women who had great advice for us.
Michelle Pope,
Summer 2017 Participant
I work at my company's global headquarters but haven't had an international assignment yet. The study abroad exposed me to the cultural nuances of doing business in China.
Guillermo Hernandez,
Summer 2019 Participant
Learned to be open-minded to all experience, don't be afraid to try something new. Hey, you are in china Right? Experience as much as you can!
Summer 2019 Participant
There are so many things to experience in such a short period of time. Visiting various MNC businesses from different sectors is definitely rewarding.