UVic MBA’s on Exchange: Cindy Xu

 1.) Who are you?

Cindy Xu, from Toronto, Ontario.

2.) What brought you the UVic MBA program?

I was attracted to the international aspect of the program.  The opportunities to travel and learn about other culture are definitely a plus as well!

3.) Why did you decide to go to City University of Hong Kong in Hong Kong, China?

Hong Kong is an international financial hub in Asia.  It offers a lot of opportunities for individuals interested in international business.

4.) How has life been different so far?

Life here in Hong Kong can be described as ‘jam packed’!  Hong Kong functions on a faster pace, where people move constantly.  It definitely takes time to adjust, but once you do, you feel so productive!  People in Hong Kong are also very family and group oriented.  Although everyone works 9-10 hours a day, they will always find time to get together for drinks and to eat.  Sunday in Hong Kong is a family day, everyone is out and it is impossible to find a restaurant without a line-up.  Overall, life in Hong Kong is very exciting!  It’s always nice to be able to grab a friend and go out at any hour for a hot bowl of noodles!

5.) How is education different than Canada?

The education is not too different from Canada.  In graduate level studies, they have many team projects that involve presentations and report writing.  Although English is the teaching language, communication can still be an issue as there are many students from China that are not fluent in the language.  Of course, similar to Canada, there is a difference in ways of thinking, so understanding and tolerance is needed when learning in a new environment and culture.

6.) What is one thing you want to accomplish in Hong Kong besides succeeding in your studies???

Become one of them!  Understand the local culture and lifestyle, eat as much local cuisines as possible, and definitely explore the area.

UVic MBA’s on Exchange: Julia Doran

The UVic MBA Blog’s second instalment featuring MBA’s on exchange.  Enjoy!

1.) Who are you?

My name is Julia Doran. I’m from Ajax, Ontario but have been living on the west coast for the last 5 years

2.) What brought you the UVic MBA program?

I have always wanted to do a master’s degree and UVic offered an MBA program that focused on international business, sustainability and entrepreneurship which are all areas of interest for me. Ultimately, my decision to do an MBA was because I wanted to further my education which I could then apply to my career. Plus doing an MBA on the west coast has major advantages especially if you like the outdoors.

3.) Why did you decide to go to INCAE Business School in Costa Rica?

I choose to go to INCAE Business School because I really wanted to become fluent in Spanish as well as develop a Latin American network. Plus, I had already traveled to Costa Rica and knew I loved the country so it was an easy decision for me. INCAE is also a top ranked school with a great international reputation which was also a major attraction for me. I would really like to work internationally and having international experience with the ability to speak more than one language can be very valuable to organizations. Finally, I wanted to choose an exchange school where I could align my “work hard, play hard” mentality. Costa Rica provided the perfect place for me to combine my education and business goals with my sense of adventure.

4.) How has life been different so far?

Life has been really good and I feel very lucky to be here. At INCAE, it is mandatory for all of the students to live on-campus and the campus is set in a remote location outside of San Jose so it is very easy to get to know other students. Living on campus again in a remote location reminds me of my first year of my undergrad. As far as differences, the obvious difference is that it is a Spanish speaking country although the majority of students here speak English. However, I have noticed that Latin Americans have a very open, laid back and friendly nature. That is probably the biggest difference and also a very welcomed change from North American culture which is slightly more closed off in comparison.

5.) How is education different than Canada?

The classroom education here at INCAE is very similar to that of UVic. Both schools use case based learning, although INCAE seems to use more cases per class, and both have great professors. Probably the biggest difference between both universities is the overall structure. INCAE has a two module structure from August to December whereas UVic has a one semester structure from September to December. The classes at INCAE are every day for four weeks straight whereas at UVic you take a class once or twice a week over the entire semester where the classes run longer. Although the class schedules are slightly different the actual education is very comparable.

 6.) What is one thing you want to accomplish in Costa Rica besides succeeding in your studies?

I set three goals for myself while I am studying at INCAE University. Firstly, I want to learn how to speak Spanish fluently and secondly build a Latin American network. INCAE students represent most of Central and South America so it is a wonderful cultural and learning experience. My third goal is to learn how to dance salsa because Latin America is home to some of the world’s best dancers and dancing is such a huge part of the culture here. Plus it is a great skill to know because all social events here involve dancing.

Some final thoughts:

I think it is important for MBA students to gain an international business perspective before graduating and an exchange provides this essential learning experience for students. I feel very fortunate to be able to go on an MBA exchange, especially in Costa Rica. I think being able to experience two very good MBA programs in very different contexts has and will continue to benefit me both personally and professionally.

Pura Vida,

Julia

Uvic MBA’s on Exchange: Christina Yee

The UVic MBA Blog will be starting a small feature that highlights UVic MBA’s who are presently on an exchange term to one of the UVic Business’s many international exchange partners.  We take a look at who they are, where they are now and how they are doing abroad!  So without further ado…

1.) Who are you? 

Christina Yee from Vancouver, BC

2.) What brought you the UVic MBA program?

Personal challenge and one that would provide hopefully more exciting career opportunities and create long lasting relationships with like-minded people.

3.) Why did you decide to exchange to the Guanghau School of Management at Peking University in China?

It is known as the top business school in China. It was an opportunity to study at top university in a country I do not know much about. It was another personal challenge as well, to see how I would handle culture shock and challenge myself to go beyond my comfort zone. I also knew that it would mean a lot to my family and grandparents to come back and see China for myself and learn Mandarin.

4.) How has life been different so far?

The first week was tough. I stayed in my hotel room and refused to leave, because I had something against eating alone and having people stare at me. Plus the traffic in Beijing is insane. However, the international and domestic students at GSM PKU have been amazing. You get to meet people from everywhere who are excited to be in China and as well, you all are going through the same sort of culture shock to some degree. It has been about 1.5 months and although I’m still in the midst of figuring everything out, I now know the closest bank, convenience store, favorite restaurant, and subway station by heart.

5.) How is education different than in Canada?

The classes are more lecture style than discussion style. Students are not as proactive to ask questions or drive discussion. There is less emphasis on group work and more papers and exams to write. In some sense, the classes are more undergraduate style, which is unfortunate. However, the faculty is top notch and are excellent lecturers and some of the best in the country.

6.) What is one thing you want to accomplish in China besides succeeding in your studies?

I would love to be able to order dinner in Mandarin without missing a beat. I have been able to travel to 2 other cities in China, which was also my goal. I still have not seen the Great Wall (which is rather funny), but I think that’s on my list of MUST-DOs. Also, in China, due to the great amount of counterfeit alcohol, one becomes a champion beer consumer!

Top 3 Small Business Lessons from an MBA internship

Here is an article written about my summer internship experience at Wickware Communications in Toronto

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/careers/business-education/mba-diary/top-3-mba-lessons-applied-to-business/article2189028/

Matthew Wilson

Ethical Decision Making: Dilemma or Opportunity?

By Kapil Kalra

MBA education is playing a bigger role in today’s society than it ever has in the past.  Without downplaying the importance of political decision makers, presently the number of decisions that impact our modern global economies, small and medium businesses and different sections of society are increasingly made by business managers.  So the issue is, what is our personal responsibility as an MBA grad and as a global business manager towards this highly dependent and integrated society?  Let’s put it in a simple way…How ethical does each of our decisions need to be?

It’s hard to define ethics when it comes to business because business is always focussed on money and when it comes to money, the relationship between profits and ethics becomes complex.  For example, many people today fear another global recession but if you ask an independent trader about his opinion he may recommend grabbing the best opportunity to make money and not care about millions of other businesses vanishing out.

The other day I was reading a marketing article and the author argued that best way to market a family product is to target children and destroy their buying habits for the company’s benefit.  With this thinking, you could sell your products to these consumers throughout their entire life.  Are these practices ethical?  Some of these controversial decisions, heavily influenced by personal interests of businesses, have posed a fear of another global war but instead of nuclear bombs the weapon is money.

I believe, as MBA’s, we are going to have a great influence in global decision making in both business and political environments in our post grad years.  With every decision we make, we must keep the interest of our developing societies and economies in mind.  Managers in China should think how their strategies could help develop strong relations with the Western World and not just promote further competition.

Initiatives like the Canadian Business oath force us to think socially and wonder how our decisions in Canada can affect a beggar in India, for example.

This ethical thing sounds great isn’t it? Let me ask you a question now.

You head the accounts department of a medium size company and recently come to know about some manipulations going on in the numbers just before a big audit next month and the firm seeks your involvement. This may have some severe effects on shareholders and the company’s image.

But you are also aware that if you deny any knowledge of this, you run the risk of coming under bad eyes of the top people and may eventually lose your job. In these times of recession, it may be hard to find a new job to support your family. What would you do: report, protest or ignore?

Situations like this really question the true definition of Ethics in Business.

A question to ponder; what’s your definition of an Ethical Manager?

 

 

A Woman’s Perspective on Business School

By Catherine Henderson 

When I walked into the classroom on the first day of graduate school, I couldn’t help but notice that the male to female ratio was quite significant. Though I wasn’t about to complain about the fact that there were more than twice the number of guys than girls, I wondered how it would impact my experience with the MBA program.

We were all assigned to a group of four or five (a team we would work with for the remainder of the semester) within the first few days of EBL. With so few girls in the class, many of us were the only female on our teams.

When I first saw my group I was instantly intimidated. I didn’t want to stand out or be treated differently because I was the only girl. I realized immediately after meeting with my team that this wouldn’t be an issue – we were all here as MBA students and it didn’t matter what gender or nationality we were or what kind of backgrounds we had. We were all here with the same goal – to do well in the program, meet new people and earn an MBA.

Having so few girls also created some bonds for me that may not have been possible had the numbers been evenly split. The commonality of being a female MBA student brought me closer to several girls in the class who I would now consider lifelong friends. Although I think lifelong friendships will develop no matter what the ratio is, being one of the girls gave us something in common from the very beginning.

A year into the program, I don’t feel that being a female MBA student has made me stand out or be treated any differently than my male colleagues. We have a mutual respect for each other and are there to help support each other through the program.  I’m thankful for both the male and female classmates that I’ve had the opportunity to work and develop friendships with.

 

 

“Letter Home” lands in TA/GS News

UVic MBA student Kapil Kalra’s previous post on his letter home to India has found a place in the TA/GS newsletter from the Teaching and Learning Centre at UVic.  Check the link below on page 8!

http://web.uvic.ca/gradstudies/pdf/TAGS_Newsletter_SEPT_%202011.pdf

Letters to India, an MBA Candidate Reflects

My good friend,

I still remember the day when we said goodbye at the New Delhi Airport on the 30^th of July 2010.  You asked me to call as soon as I took a breath in Canada. Since then we have talked a number of times and every time you have asked me, “how does it feel studying in Canada?” So, finally today I will walk you through education and life in Canada for an international student and justify why Canada is called the “Land of Opportunity”.

I remember when I first came out of the Vancouver airport and first thing I saw was another fellow International student there to receive me (thanks Navjot!).  After reaching Victoria on one of the most amazing and beautiful journeys by ferry, we finally got to our place to stay with one of my friends from India. Actually, my friend is one of the main reasons why I chose to study and live in Canada. Our orientation was done by an international student, which for myself, was one of the most interesting things which I experienced here. In my first month of the program I took essentials of business and leadership(EBL), which was focused primarily on getting us ready for the rigorous and extensive program ahead. It gave me a great chance to interact with some of the great minds of both Canada and the rest of the world and become friends with them. But after EBL, the MBA program proved to be a great challenge with loads of assignments, team projects, lectures and professional development sessions. My class of 45 students representing 11 different nationalities is the perfect definition of what we call Diversity in Canada.

Team projects and professional development programs are two things which I find very unique and practical in the Canadian education system. A strong focus on building and working in teams during our course certainly adds tremendous value to our education. I feel that the individual learning experience which I gained from India coupled with the team experience in Canada is an asset for both my personal and professional lives.

We work day and night in companies to earn our living, we love to spend time with our families but have we ever wondered why? Studying in Canada introduced me to this mind blowing subject – professional development. Its main areas include creative thinking, leadership, power and politics in organizations and mentorship programs. All these topics forced me to sit and think, what are my values? Why I am studying in Canada? And what are my responsibilities? Mentors are also a great resource for knowledge, which is another unique feature of Canadian education. In India, we never experienced things such as mentors or creative thinking, but after coming here, I realized the importance of these activities and how much they are in fact driving the world nowadays.

Finally, I consider coming to Canada, a dream come true. I believe that Canadian education is doing a great job developing future leaders who have the ability to make this world a great place to live.

Your friend,

Kapil Kalra

Kapil Kalra is a 2012 MBA Candidate at the University of Victoria, from Punjab, India. Prior to doing his Masters, Kapil worked in the Automotive Industry in Sales and Marketing for 3 years at Mahindra & Mahindra.  After graduation, Kapil plans to stay in Canada and further pursue his career.

Uvic MBAs New E-business Start-up in the Press

Jessica Kerr and Casey Rollins, creators of riffington.com, recently launched their online penny auction site that sells designer fashion brands such as Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Gucci and Marc Jacobs.

It is a very interesting “pay-to-play” business model and the site is beginning to create a following.  The pair of Entrepreneurs have been recognized today in the Victoria Times Colonist. Check out the link below and visit riffington.com to purchase exclusive goods for auction.

Times Colonist Article (07/28/11) http://bit.ly/qn4ZWa

Rollin’ out to Toronto, Casey Makes the Finals

More good news today from the UVic MBA class of 2010.

Casey Rollins is now an official finalist in the Impact Apprentice Competition 2011!  She will be heading out to Toronto Aug 22-25 for three furious days of competition!

The rest of the UVic MBA’s will be cheering her on proudly. Go Casey Go!

Check out the Official Impact Apprentice Facebook page for more details…

http://www.facebook.com/impactapprentice?sk=wall