Past participants praise program

"Last October 18th I was sitting on the plane from Vienna to Beijing and contemplating the things I had left behind, but at the same time I was also curious and excited. The flame of desire to learn was still burning strongly despite my nearly 40 years of age.

Eight months later, I was proved right about the challenge. The feeling of being in a restaurant and not being able to order even the simplest dish was totally new to me but now 1,500 hours of studying, writing and speaking, had paid off.

Of course, in order to master the language, many more years are needed, but the program does offer a unique opportunity to build a solid basis and to learn the language to a satisfactory level, even as an absolute beginner.

Now, the challenge is what will happen next. I will go back to the company that sent me, in order to develop my business plan for China, but I would very much like to return and work there for some years.

I realize now that to stay on and work in China and to be successful requires great courage, good planning and the right opportunity.

It is difficult, not only because of the financial crisis and the global economic downturn, but also because, year-on-year, Chinese professionals and business people are becoming more experienced and more competent in their international business dealings.

It is not a secret that nowadays that China is far from being the expat's Eldorado. We Europeans should realize that China has risen far above our expectations and we should adjust our egocentric way of thinking because there is much to gain and much to learn from this great country."

"During the period of the extensive training program, we touched base with different cultures and different aspects of Europe. We visited the Manchester United Football stadium and enjoyed the wonderful games between United and Wigan.

During the training program, we also experienced the self-assessment procedures used to develop personal skills and effectiveness workshops. We soon realized the importance of communication and cooperation.

As a part of the program, I successfully finished my internship in Royal DSM N V located in Heerlen, the Netherlands. I leant a lot from the European company, including the importance of transparent, sustainability, SHE (Safety, Healthy, Environment) systems.

The training program and internship provided me with an opportunity to help me deal more efficiently with European cultures. I can now understand Europe better and avoid frustration and miscomprehension. Meanwhile, as a Chinese cultural envoy, I introduced Chinese culture and exchanged opinions with many European friends.

The METP training and internship was a really unique and exciting experience for me, from which I benefited enormously, discovered new ideas and made new friends. I was able to have a closer insight into Europe, its history, nature and society. "

"The training program of the METP was designed with a lot of unique and interesting ideas, many of them very different from the education I had received before. It provided a platform for us to interact with the other Chinese and European participants.

In this community there were no stupid questions and every single voice was respected. It was a good opportunity to see the outside world. It was a time of true cultural integration.

The courses I learned in the European business schools showcased to me some new subjects in management. The most impressive class I took was about management philosophy.

I was very surprised to see that the financial professor analyzed a balance sheet based on the theory of Wu Hsing in the I Ching: the Book of Changes, a classic philosophy book in China.

I am very proud of Chinese philosophy and was delighted to see that it can be widely used even in modern management.

My seven weeks of internship gave me a very precious insight into understanding the business of my host company.

With the kind assistance of my German colleagues, I participated in the CEBIT Exhibition, Germany-China Logistics Conference, visited the City Hall, the Bremen Port, Thyssenkrupp Krause GmbH, and Mercedes Benz Manufacture.

Together with my colleagues, I received and consulted a number of Chinese companies for my investment projects and cooperated on the World Expo 2010 event in Shanghai.

I took every opportunity to ask questions and to try to know more. I learned a lot from my German colleagues and it was really an unforgettable experience in my life."

"Following the language course, I can say that studying Chinese is not just merely learning a language. It is an experience that leads you closer to the Chinese people and culture, it allows you to understand why Chinese do what they do and why they think the way they think.

To be successful in business one has to see things through other's eyes, to think from other's point of view and to find what interests the opposite side and try to respond to that in a way that brings benefits for both sides.

I knew that China was a big country with huge population but only when I went there did I realize what the real meaning of "great" and how it reflects on one's perceptions of doing business and leads to a very different micro - and macro economic approach to developing the country.

After almost a year of studying, I plan to go back to my home country for a while, but I hope to be back again soon and to stay a bit longer with a view to developing my business plans in the service sector."

(China Daily 08/17/2009 page12)