For the first two weeks in May, Darden’s Global MBA for Executives Class of 2016 students visited Shanghai and Beijing. Their residency included classes taught by Darden faculty members Elizabeth Demers, Marc Modica, Elliott Weiss, and Dennis Yang and explored topics ranging from China’s economic growth to real estate markets to negotiations. The program also included several company visits, allowing students to learn actively about China and its markets from insider perspectives. In Shanghai, the students visited a Wal-Mart Super Center in Pudong, the Lotte-Hershey factory, and local Shanghai market, as well as attending the Darden Shanghai Investing Summit. After taking the high speed train to Beijing, the group continued classes, including a session with Tony Black, Otis China’s CEO. Site visits, such as Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and the Great Wall were woven amongst classes and visits to both the Li-Ning sportswear and equipment company as well as an entrepreneurial venture in a local hutong.
David Maruna, GEMBA Class of 2016, shared, “We had some great cultural experiences while in Shanghai and Beijing! We did everything alongside some amazing professors who utilized site visits, guest lecturers and regular classes to invigorate our core coursework in accounting, operations, and leadership. The learning was intense and the memories were epic!”
