MODERN CHINESE BUSINESS AND CULTURE PROGRAM LAUNCHED

September 20, 2006

The E. J. Ourso College of Business and LSU have launched a new international education initiative, the Modern Chinese Business and Culture program. The Modern Chinese Business and Culture program includes a minor for undergraduates and a specialization for Flores MBAs.

“China has one of the world’s largest and fastest growing economies,” said Dean Robert T. Sumichrast. “ China also has customs, language and business practices that are very different from those in the United States. We developed this program so our students would learn to live and conduct business in China through LSU courses and by living and working in China,” continued Dean Sumichrast.

This unique interdisciplinary program is a joint effort between the E. J. Ourso College and LSU’s Honors College and College of Arts & Sciences. While the program was officially launched in 2006, several groups of undergraduates and Flores MBAs had already completed study tours in China in 2005.

Students participating in the modern Chinese business and culture program have the opportunity to study abroad at Tongji University, Tsinghua University and Fudan University. In summer 2006, Flores MBAs, who chose the Modern Chinese Business and Culture specialization, spent four weeks in a Mandarin Chinese immersion class held at Fudan University.

Flores MBAs and undergraduates in the program also take part in a China discovery tour, which includes visits to the nation’s historical landmarks such as the Great Wall and Tiananmen Square.

“The culture in any foreign country will naturally play a role in its business climate. The discovery tour is as much a part of the education of these students as what takes place in the classroom,” said Sumichrast.

Many international companies are also opening the doors of their Chinese locations to students in the Modern Chinese Business and Culture program. Firms such as eBay and General Electric have offered students in-depth explorations of their Chinese business operations. In addition, companies such as Security National and PepsiCo have partnered with the E. J. Ourso College to establish internships in their Chinese locations for undergraduates and Flores MBAs.

“The Modern Chinese Business and Culture program meets our goals of providing rigorous, relevant undergraduate and MBA educations, and it supports our economic development efforts,” Dean Sumichrast said. “We’re confident that it will also attract more high-achieving, serious students who are ready to be the next generation of world leaders,” finished Dean Sumichrast.

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Wendy Osborn Luedtke
LSU E. J. Ourso College of Business
225/578-8865