International Business Cohort Joins a Two-Week Exchange Study Programme in Canada

Release date:2017/08/17
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From 24th July to 5th August, 2017, the FOB International Business Cohort took part in the two-week international business seminar "Global Economy, Trade, and Language", organized by The University of Alberta, to study business through a global lens. Topics studied in the seminar included "Innovation Management in Today's Global Environment", "Value Creation through Merger and Acquisitions", "Creating an Effective International Marketing Strategy", "Supply Chain Management for the Global Economy" and "Global Trade and Procurement Strategies". All students also took Business English classes designed to boost their English skills and understanding of professional International Business. Ms. Stella Kuan, a Supervisor in the Faculty of Business, accompanied the students on their travels from Hong Kong to Canada. She also assisted in organizing all the associated arrangements, including both courses and other activities.

 

The International Business Cohort studied with Business students from The University of Lima, Peru. Group projects and in-class exercises allowed them to exchange ideas and study experiences. Several highly qualified of professors from The University of Alberta delivered lectures on various topics during the seminar: Prof. Vikas Mehrotra, A.F. (Chip) Collins Chair and Professor of Finance and Chair of the Department of Finance and Statistical Analysis; Prof. Robert Fisher, Chair of the Alberta School of Business; Prof. Edy Wong, Associate Dean of the International School of Business; Prof. John Doyle, who has much experience of teaching International Business to managers from around the world; and Ms. Sofia Elgueta Duplancic, who was familiar with three languages. The students benefited from their professional and educational supervision, greatly enhancing their knowledge of entrepreneurship and operational skills. At the end of their two-week intensive training, students from both universities worked in mixed groups to write several business plans for oral presentation as their graduation projects. Under the appraisal of the local teachers and professors, they demonstrated the creativity and knowledge they had learned during the seminar, and were awarded their graduation certificates.

 

Besides attending the seminar, the students visited the Legislature and seven nearby companies and institutions, to learn more about local history and developments and the business environment. The seven institutions included the Running Room, CompuVision, eHUB, the Remedy Cafe, Edmonton Tourism, CBC/Radio-Canada and the Fairmont Hotel MacDonald. The students visited these offices and stores and engaged in dialogues with representatives of their managements, to explore and learn more about the risks, difficulties and challenges facing local companies. They also discovered how different types of companies solve their problems through special operations designed to enhance their development.

 

During the leisure time, the students visited Fort Edmonton Park, where they learned more about the history of business and culture over the past century. The trip gave them many opportunities to enjoy the culture of Canada. The students also visited West Edmonton Mall, the biggest shopping centre in North America, which hosts the biggest indoor water park in the world, permanent displays, animal performances, an indoor amusement park and thousands of shops, a great example of a venue that combines entertainment and shopping and successfully attracts local residents and tourists. This provided a reference that helped students to understand the different kinds of demands in different countries and how enterprises emerge to supply those demands. While staying in Canada, students lived with host families, so that they could deepen their knowledge of local culture and customs, widen their visions, broaden their horizons, and establish cross-cultural values.


 
Prof. Sean Li, the Registrar of City U, visited the International Business Cohort at University of Alberta, and discussed their study situation and environment with them. The students were extremely glad and honoured to know that City U and Registrar Li were devoting such great attention to them, which was an encouragement to them to study harder and bring glory to City U.


 
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