IBCE Students Learn How Myanmar’s Economy Bounced Back from Its Turbulent Times

In Myanmar, International Business and Chinese Enterprise students learnt and observed its unique business environment and culture during their final year 7-day study trip.

By Nicole Chi, International Business and Chinese Enterprise, Year 4

“Mingalaba!”, meaning “auspicious wishes” in Myanmar, was the first Burmese term our International Business and Chinese Enterprise (IBCE) batch learned during our final year 7-day study trip to the beautiful and exotic city of Yangon, Myanmar in October. Indeed, this study trip was not only a great opportunity to learn and observe Myanmar’s unique business environment and culture, but also an impeccable conclusion to our study here at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) Business School.

To adequately comprehend the latest development of the country’s garment industry and its increasingly important role in the global market, we visited VT Garment, where we learned how the company tailored its operations to accommodate the increasing demand from the international market, and were given a guided tour on the factory’s production floor to witness the seamless coordination behind each stage of garment manufacturing. We also visited the Myanmar Garment Manufacturers Association (MGMA), where the chairman and founder of MGMA shared industry insights into the challenges faced by the Myanmar garment industry, and how it responded to new business opportunities brought by the United States lifting its economic sanctions to the country.

Our batch also met up and mingled with different professionals from a variety of industries. Mr. Bo Kyaw, Chief Executive Officer and founder of Green Gold Industrial Co., Ltd, shared with us how they resumed their wood production gradually after the 8-year embargo. It was also interesting to learn how the company established an eco-conscious image despite being a timber company, by extracting timber from the forest under the sustainable yield program and recycling wood waste to fabricate accessories.The dialogue session with Mr. Rajesh Ahuja, Chief Executive Officer of ANZ Bank’s Myanmar Branch, was another enlightening experience as he shed light on the country’s future economy and business trends under its growing influence on ASEAN.

We also toured around the city of Yangon, and visited the State Museum; I was particularly taken aback to learn how religion is deep-rooted in the local culture.  With our IBCE journey coming to an end, this fruitful study trip will surely be one of the best memories to talk about when we all come together again in the future.

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