Intensive Mandarin Studies and Internship in Shanghai, China

Ryan Moran, University of Louisville, Class of 2014

Made possible by the generous support of the Brown Fellows Program and the University of Louisville College of Business Travel Grant,in association with CRCC Asia, Donghua University Center of International Programs, and Raffles Institute of Higher Education.

With this enrichment project, it was my goal to:A. Synthesize what I have learned at the University of

Louisville’s College of Business and Bangalore’s Christ University in an international workplace.

B. Investigate how majors in Accounting, Economics, and Finance, and minors in Marketing and International Business, are used in a foreign working environment.

Identify which majors or minors are most critical to international workplace success.

Determine which business disciplines appear most engaging and could be the best potential career paths.

C. Examine interpersonal relations between professionals in an international business environment, and contrast Chinese business culture with Western business culture.

D. Begin building a network of aspiring business students and business professionals from not only Asia, but around the world.

Previous Experience• Summer 2010: Cultural immersion and orientation trip to

Vietnam and Cambodia with the 2014 Brown Fellows.

• Summer 2011: Studied international business at Christ University in Bangalore, India.

Studied International Political Economy, International Marketing, and Contemporary Socioeconomic Developments of South Asia.

Compared American standard of living and human development indices with those of the United Kingdom, Sweden, France, Germany, and the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, and China).

Analyzed Harvard case studies to contrast successes and failures in global marketing strategy.

Analyzed how international political and economic forces are affecting contemporary international relations in South Asia.

Presented at the 2011 Brown Fellows Symposium.

1. Intensive Mandarin Studies: Completed 68 study lessons over 4 weeks to earn certification in elementary Mandarin Chinese by Mandarin House Language School, Shanghai.

2. Internship at the Center of International Programs: Worked as a marketing executive intern for a partnership between Raffles Institute of Higher Education (Singapore-based private education company famous in Asia-Pacific) and Donghua University (a top-ranked Chinese university in Shanghai).

Summer 2010: View of rice paddies on the way to Sa Pa in northern Vietnam.

Summer 2011: Taj Mahal in India after classes ended at Christ University.

Earned a passing score in elementary reading, speaking, and pin yin writing.

Practiced Mandarin on a daily basis by living in Shanghai and traveling around China.

Learned vocabulary and etiquette pertaining to the business environment.

The laoshi class with the Chinese names and characters to the colors.

Researched marketing effectiveness of English advertisements for a Chinese university.

Explored “pay-per-click” marketing techniques such as Google AdWords and Facebook customized advertising.

Practiced and refined personal selling strategies and developed team marketing presentations.

My supervisor and coworker on my last day at Donghua University.

Created electronic marketing campaigns. Compiled and analyzed customer records to determine student

success patterns and identify scholarship candidates.

June 7: Arrive in Shanghai

June 11: Start of Mandarin Classes

June 30: Trip to Hangzhouand Moganshan

Boating through the canals of the river city of Suzhou, the “Venice of Asia.”

Hiking a mountain tea plantation in the Moganshan, outside of Hangzhou.

• Studied Mandarin Chinese in the classroom and successfully practiced in the business environment.

Learned and used thematic vocabulary pertaining to the workplace and demonstrated basic business communication.

• Examined Chinese business culture. Guanxi: “to do business, we must first be friends.” Mianzi: losing face, saving face, or giving face.

• Worked in a multicultural business environment, and learned about diverse business etiquettes from Singaporean, Russian, and Chinese coworkers.

• Identified the importance of marketing skills in the workplace, regardless of the job discipline.

Personal selling, the ability to advertise ideas to coworkers and informally market products to customers.

Effective interpersonal and electronic communication techniques in a multicultural environment.

Shanghai’s famous Pudong skyline, showing the city’s impressive commercial district. Proudly featured are the Oriental Pearl Tower and the Shanghai World Financial Center.

Summer 2013 will mark my fourth and final enrichment project with the Brown Fellows Program and will serve as the culmination of my international experiences. The following are some of the potential opportunities I will explore:

Investment banking/finance internship with a major multinational company in New York, London, or East Asia.

Research or internship with the World Bank in Washington D.C. or a similar agency of empowerment.

Build on the relationships I created in China by interning for a consulting firm in Europe or a financial company in New York.

This project would not have been possible without the dedication and support of Andrew Grubb (Brown Fellows Program Class of 2014 Mentor), Elizabeth Liebschutz-Roettger (College of Business International Coordinator), Kelvin Lee (Vice Director of Marketing and Admission at Donghua University’s Center of International Programs), and Ekaterina Eremenko (Raffles Institute of Higher Education intern).

Goals for this Enrichment Project

Enrichment Project Summary

Project Dates and Excursions

Project Outcomes

Moving Forward

Special ThanksJuly 4: Trip to Beijing andthe Great Wall

July 9: Start of Internship

July 28: Trip to Suzhou

August 2: Return to US