On International Residency, EMBA Students Gain Valuable Insight Into Booming Global Market As one of the fastest-growing commercial centers on the planet, China is a key player in any industry. A nuanced understanding of what the country’s doing right—and what challenges it will face in coming years—are more essential than ever for today’s business leaders. For example, how has China maintained its exponential economic growth? And how will that growth be impacted as its population ages? This summer, from July 4-14, students in Yeshiva University’s Executive Masters in Business Administration program at the Sy Syms School of Business went far beyond the classroom to explore these and other questions, traveling to Shanghai and Beijing to complete an immersive international residency in the world of Chinese business. “China has dramatically changed over the last 30 years,” said Andrew Geller, director of the EMBA program. “There is no other country in the world like it, and you really have to experience it yourself to understand how it works. No matter what kind of executive you are—the head of a for-profit company or a hospital or school—at some point you will interact and possibly even partner with a Chinese company in some way. By experiencing the Chinese business environment firsthand, our students are better prepared for that interaction.” During the trip, students met with top executives from local businesses as well as branches of international companies, like Amazon, Light in the Box and The Economist Global Business Review, for an inside look at the Chinese economy. Discussion topics included everything from the role state-owned enterprises play in Chinese markets to how tech start-ups function there, how Chinese banking systems are coping with the country’s complex financial market, and the far-reaching social and economic impact of China’s recently-altered one-child policy. “I was intrigued by the Chinese mentality of unity and devotion to a better China as a whole and not for individuals,” said Nachum Joel, an account executive at Contemporary Insurance Services, Inc. “Their 5-year plans are something they devote themselves to fully and are able to achieve by focusing narrowly and specifically on the issues that need attention to make a better China.” “I think this statistic sums up how dynamic, diverse and imbalanced China is: Chinese people drink an average of one cup of coffee each year, but there are 350 Starbucks in Shanghai alone,” added Sybille Khayat, an account manager at Planson International Corporation. The international residency complements the EMBA’s two-year curriculum, which features a unique integration of business expertise and ethics, as well as Sunday courses that make the program accessible to Sabbath-observant students. To learn more or apply, visit www.yu.edu/syms/emba.