A career in Chinese business

The Chinese economy is expected to become the world's largest economy in the near future. When this tipping point will actually occur depends on the interplay of a number of different factors, but it is an undeniable fact that China will be a key economic power for the lifetime of the generation that is making their career choice now.

Deciding on a career related to the opportunities emerging in China is a big decision, but it is also exciting. Those who do pursue this path should think carefully about how to prepare themselves. The new undergraduate degree in International Business and Chinese Studies offered by Regent's University London combines business education coupled with in-depth study of Chinese culture and society, and the Chinese language.

China is a big country - by size, by population, by industry, by almost any metric. It is also a complicated market and society, and the phenomenal rate of change continuously adds to that complexity. The fast-paced transition from an agricultural to an urban industrial society within the last 30 years means the country is unrecognizable compared to the way it looked just two decades ago, and in 10 years' time its face may well have changed quite substantially again.

So, where do you start, and what are the essential components of knowledge about China? Some argue that without understanding China's unique culture and history, you cannot understand present-day China. Indeed, history, philosophy and culture are forces that shape cultural identities and influence Chinese people and Chinese realities today in many ways.

The complexity of conducting business in China is another component. Many pages have been written on how to approach the Chinese market and understand the Chinese consumer, and an equal number on the intricacies of business management in China, including the infrastructure, government structure and intervention issues that managers can face. And not forgetting the role that social media is also now playing in the Chinese market today.

Study and work in China are built into the Regent's programme. As Linda Li, the Programme Director, points out: "We recognize the importance of finding employment after graduation, therefore we have integrated work placements as well as a study period in China into the programme. Our Chinese partner universities are among the best in the country, and being able to put work experience in China, as well as a study semester at Tsinghua, Qingdao or Nanjing University on their CV, undoubtedly gives our students a competitive edge."

Thirdly, China's geopolitical role is becoming an ever-more important area of study. Its economic prowess and the way in which this creates expectations with regard to the projection of its strength in the cultural, political and military arena constitute an area of study in its own right. The economic and political engagement of China with the wider world, and its demand for natural resources, will influence the geopolitical context of the decades to come.

Finally, another aspect of the country's complexity is its language, which is considered difficult for Western learners. Much of the perceived difficulty of Chinese stems from the fact that its written form, using Chinese characters, is very different from the Western alphabet. The language can appear perplexing, but it can also exert its own attraction. The mystery of the Chinese script fascinated Regent's University London student Crystelle Desnoyer and motivated her to study the language: "The most important cultural impression during my first trip to Asia was the mystery behind the Chinese characters. Not being able to even slightly guess the meaning of these writings was very intriguing, thus enhancing my curiosity and interest for this unique language," she said.

Regent's University London has been teaching Chinese language to students for more than 15 years. Andre Georgi, another Regent's graduate, proves the point: "The ability to fluently communicate in Chinese has been a distinctive and sought-after skill upon graduation and helped me secure a job with one of the world's leading management consulting firms," he commented.

(China Daily European Weekly 03/20/2015 page24)