Business department plans study abroad trip to China

By Matt Frye

The Department of Business Administration at Shepherd University will be journeying to China next spring for a 12-day study abroad trip to three of the country’s most popular destinations.  The educational tour to Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong will take place from March 9 to 20, over Shepherd’s spring break and the week prior. The faculty-led trip will visit important cultural and historic sites, such as the Great Wall and Tiananmen Square. The visit will also emphasize the growing business environment in China, noted particularly by the rapid architectural growth in metropolitan areas.             

The tour will be led by Dr. E. Gordon DeMeritt, associate professor and chair of the department of business administration. This spring’s trip to will be the third trip DeMeritt has directed, having previously led a tour to China in 2008, as well as a trip to India this past spring.   

According to DeMeritt, the department’s objective in planning an overseas trip of this sort is to “create global awareness so that students can compete more effectively in the job market.”  DeMeritt stressed the importance of study abroad experiences, adding that he would love to make international travel an undergraduate requirement.   

Kimberly Foltz, a graduate of business administration and accounting, attended the trip to China in 2008.  Foltz said, “A trip to a different country really opens your eyes to the world . . . [and] taking the trip has been a great conversation starter for interviews.”   

Foltz, who is continuing her education through West Virginia University, said she highly recommends taking part in some sort of international travel during the college experience. “It provides an unforgettable way to learn from another culture,” she said. Walking on the Great Wall was her favorite experience of the tour because “it is such a piece of history, and to experience it in person was breathtaking.”    

Feeling a need to get out and experience something out of her element, Foltz said, “China fit the goal” because it was on the “other side of the world physically and culturally.” When comparing the cultures of China and the United States, Foltz said that she especially appreciated the experience of bartering. “Wouldn’t you like to argue over the price of a designer shirt until you pay what you want to pay,” she said.              

China is an ever-changing society with a booming population. Many metropolitan cities have been built up almost completely within the past few decades. DeMeritt said, “China is our most important business partner in the world today,” adding that China will soon become the largest English speaking population in the world. DeMeritt hopes that students will take back from this experience a sense of how large an economic force China is, as well as a grasp of how rapidly China is growing.   

Brittany Newland, a junior business administration and accounting major, will be taking the trip with the department on the upcoming tour. Newland said, “I became interested in the trip to China immediately when I heard about it.” A veteran traveler, Newland took an educational tour to Italy in 2004. “I think experiencing another culture in the world is a great opportunity,” she said. Newland praised the faculty-led style of the tour, because “you get to see many famous cities and learn more than [you would] if you went on your own.”   

On this upcoming tour, students will begin their journey with an overnight flight from Washington to Beijing, where they will tour the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, and take an excursion to the Great Wall. While in Beijing, students will have the opportunity to visit a local company, enjoy an optional Kung Fu show, and even taste authentic Peking duck. 

The next city students will visit is Shanghai, one of the most densely populated cities in the world. After enjoying free time in Shanghai, students will take a guided tour of sites such as: the Jade Buddha Temple, Yu Yuan Garden, The Bund, and Shanghai World Financial Tower.  Students will also have an opportunity to visit a car manufacturing plant and attend a business lecture held by a local university professor.   

The tour will conclude with a stay in Hong Kong. During the visit to the island, participants will tour Stanley Market, Aberdeen Harbor, and Repulse Bay. Students will also have a chance to view the cityscape from over 1800 feet up on the mountain of Victoria Peek. A visit to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, an optional Lantau Island cruise, and a traditional Dim Sum lunch are also planned.   

For many students, a 12-day, short-term program may not quench their desire for a study abroad experience. Shepherd also offers longer stays in China through the Study Abroad Office on campus. Ann Henriksson, director of the study abroad office, said, “The advantage of a summer, semester, or year-long study abroad is that you would have the opportunity to meet the local people in a way the short-term trip does not allow,” for the “longer the stay, the more likely it would be that you would immerse yourself in the culture.” 

For more information on the March 10 trip to China, students are encouraged to contact DeMeritt by e-mail at gdemerit@shepherd.edu. Students interested in a more long-term option for Chinese travel may contact Ann Henriksson at awhenrik@shepherd.edu.

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