With China turning into a global business hub, 77 business students from the Netherlands just got some first-hand experience in intercultural differences and business approaches.

The students and five experts from Nyenrode Business University in the Netherlands recently concluded a tightly packed, two-week China Study Tour in Shanghai, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, and Beijing.

"We want to give the students optimal preparation for their future career in business and build their knowledge of doing business with China," said Professor Jaap J. van Muijen of the university's Chairman Center for Leadership and Personal Development.

"This trip has offered insights in intercultural differences and differences in business approaches,'' he said.

The tour was sponsored by Capgemini, an international company in consulting, technology and outsourcing services, and organized by Meetin China, a Dutch company specializing in organizing business tours for entrepreneurs.

The students conducted research on "transformational outsourcing" for Capgemini. "Nowadays, outsourcing not only refers to products, but also knowledge and human resources," said the professor. "It's a very interesting topic and students made many site visits to see how transformational outsourcing has been done in China."

Over two weeks, the students visited nearly 10 companies and factories. They included Van Hessen Shanghai, a Dutch natural sausage casings maker, along with VDL, a global leader in metalworking, mechatronic systems and system supply, plastics processing and surface treatment, NXP, a semiconductor company, and Philips.

The students also day-tripped to Suzhou Industrial Park and met with MBA students from the Antai College of Economics and Management at Jiao Tong University.

They listened to lectures from top-ranked managers of multi-national enterprises, such as Randstad, a human resource provider, Unisono, a specialist in building and maintaining market positions in China for companies in the consumer goods, retail, food processing, utilities and automotive industries, and TNT, a courier offering global express distribution, logistics and international mail service for parcels and freight.

"We aim to educate our students to be entrepreneurial managers who can excel in any business environment," Professor van Muijen said.

The students are part of the Master of Science program that has around 140 students from the Netherlands, Germany, India, China, Japan, Brazil, South Africa and many other countries. They major in general, financial and marketing management.

"Shanghai is such a fast-developing city and we want to see what is happening in this place with our own eyes," said student Daan Reitsma, responsible within the Students' Union, for launching the China trip, together with another five fellows.

It is the first China trip for most.

"I found the way to do things in China is different from my country, the Netherlands, where everything is rule, rule and rule. It is a good thing, of course, but it also sometimes kills efficiency," Reitsma said.

"But here everything is fast and everyone is efficient. Maybe the countries should learn from each other."

Students' Union Vice Chairman, C.B.(Caroline) Glasbergen, said China business was ''very impressive.''

"We're so amazed at the development speed here," she said.

Glasbergen said the trip to China was an eye-opener.

"We learned a lot from the way Western companies do their business, manage people and cooperate with their Chinese colleagues in China. It was very useful for us," Glasbergen said. "We've got lots of information about business, the people and the culture."

(Shanghai Daily September 24, 2008)