GBS Students Gain Understanding of China’s Business Environment and Culture through the Guangzhou Field Trip
Led by Dr. John Lai, 44 third-year GBS students from CUHK Business School and the two partner schools went on a field trip to Guangzhou through which they gained eye-opening experience in the business environment and culture of China.
To start off their cohort studies in the Asia leg of their GLOBE* journey, 44 third-year Global Business Studies (GBS) students from the three partner schools, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) Business School, Copenhagen Business School and the Kenan-Flagler Business School at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill went on a two-day field trip to Guangzhou from January 22 to 23. Led by Dr. John Lai, Assistant Dean (Undergraduate Studies) and Director of Global Business Programs at CUHK Business School, most students had their first-time experience in the business environment and culture of China.
The field trip started with a visit to Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone, officially established to serve as an experimental business zone for better interaction between Mainland China and Hong Kong in the financial, logistics, and IT services sectors. After that, students visited the Hutchison Whampoa Guangzhou Baiyunshan Chinese Medicine Company Limited to learn about the business model on traditional Chinese medicine. Contrary to what is expected, the company operates with a high production cost and relatively low profit margin. The day ended with a visit to Lychee Bay Scenic Area, part of an old town with traditional buildings, small shops, canals and lanterns decorated on the trees and bridges.
The visit to Guangzhou Shipyard International Company Limited on the second day was another eye-opening experience for the students. It was a privilege for them to understand the business model of the biggest modern shipbuilding enterprise in South China and to visit some of the restricted areas of production. The subsequent cultural visit to Shamian, regarded as the fascinating piece of Europe in China with lots of colonial architecture, and the Guangdong Museum, on the other hand, helped students learn about the local history of Guangzhou – an important national transportation hub and trading pot.
*Global Learning Opportunities in Business Education (GLOBE) is a partnership among CUHK Business School, Copenhagen Business School (CBS) and The Kenan-Flagler Business School at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC).
