In Shanghai

Seventeen Whittier College students are traveling through China this Jan Term with Professor of Business Administration Jeff Decker and business leader Edwin Keh ’79, who was a recent lecturer at the Wharton School of Business. 

On the second leg of their trip students and faculty traveled to Shanghai. The group had the opportunity to do some sightseeing and shopping along with visiting numerous companies and speaking to business leaders in the area. 

Edwin Keh ’79 reports:
The trip was very busy, Jeff Decker runs a tough class!  We topped off the great start in Beijing with an even better few days in Shanghai.

We left Beijing to a 5 hr delay at the airport.  By the time we got to Shanghai we were a bit more rag tag!  We immediately headed off to Souzhou (next province over) to visit a TV plant that makes flat panel TVs for LG and Vizio.

Then we got into our hectic Shanghai schedule of 2-3 company visits a day with briefings and lectures in the bus during the day.  The days were long but the students’ questions and engagement level got better and better as the week progressed.  They were quizzing CEOs like pros! During the week in the various companies (GE, Daphne Shoes, Nike, Shokay, Yihaodian, GLP) our students made Whittier look good.  They will all make great business analysts, talk show hosts, or business leaders!

Outside the Logistics Centre

In the showroom

Showing off our Poet pride!

Visiting GE

Visiting a small shop

In the classroom

The Store

Shopping in Shanghai

Sightseeing in Shanghai

Dinner with a view!

Shanghai at night

Busy Airport

Seventeen Whittier College students are traveling through China this Jan Term with Professor of Business Administration Jeff Decker and business leader Edwin Keh ’79, who was a recent lecturer at the Wharton School of Business. 

Edwin Keh ’79 reports: This morning (Wednesday) we got up at 4:30 and got to the airport only to be told our flight was delayed by several hours.  We used the time to have a class and lecture at the gate.

Finally in the air...

Thursday morning we will go to Suzhou to tour a high tech TV manufacturing plant, and then we still have Nike, GE, Daphne(the largest women’s shoe retailer in China 7000 stores), the #1 Store (No 3 largest e commerce company in China, fastest growing co in China in the last 3 years), and GLP (one of the largest logistics companies in China.

Saturday we will visit a social enterprise started by two Harvard Students that was recently featured in CNN.  We’ve got some side trips and a ride on the Maglev train (fastest train in the world) before we’re done next Tuesday.

We’re all pretty excited, and every night we fall asleep dead tired.

Group at the Embassy

Seventeen Whittier College students are traveling through China this Jan Term with Professor of Business Administration Jeff Decker and business leader Edwin Keh ’79, who was a recent lecturer at the Wharton School of Business. 

Edwin Keh ’79 reports:

Tuesday we started the day in the US Embassy.  We were hosted by CDA Bob Wang.  It was like I was back in his classroom again.  Our students asked great questions and Bob gave us a brilliant comprehensive lesson in US China relations.  Our students were duly awed.  We were then given a tour of the largest US Embassy in the world.

Google China

We then went onto to visit Google.  Our host, Elliott Ng, a senior executive in this region gave us great insights about doing business on line.  We finished the day with a banquet in the rather exclusive China Club Beijing.

Poets in Beijing

Seventeen Whittier College students are traveling through China this Jan Term with Professor of Business Administration Jeff Decker and business leader Edwin Keh ’79, who was a recent lecturer at the Wharton School of Business. 

Edwin Keh ’79 reports: The group arrived Saturday night and spent Sunday on a lightning tour of Beijing.  They manage to cover all the major sites.