On May 5th, the Fisher MBA student group consulting with the Chinese company LeeWorld met with the Ohio State Beijing alumni chapter. The networking reception welcomed the group for the three week in-country portion of their LeeWorld consulting assignment after seven weeks working remotely from campus. The student group is working on LeeWorld’s G9 development-an international platform for wellness, tourism, and lifestyle in Huailai outside of Beijing. Its proximity to the capital city gives it a unique advantage as an international destination.

      After spending 24 hours in Beijing packed with site-seeing, the alumni meeting kicked off business for the rest of the trip.  Successful alumni in finance, technology, and agriculture shared their knowledge of culture and business in China. There were multiple perspectives represented by the diverse age and functional background of the attendees. The alumni chapter shared the various events they hold throughout the year and showed how strong Buckeye nation is across the globe. 

     “Having the chance to meet with alumni in the area gave us a great foundation for our work in-country” rising 2nd-year full-time MBA student Josh Hardy explained. “In addition to some insightful ideas about our project, it was great to connect with international alumni over a common bond.”

     “I actually met an alumni who worked in entertainment industry market research in Los Angeles just like me. He eventually moved back to China to start his own company and it was great meeting him. Crazy how small of a world it is,” added classmate Thomas Sinard. 

    Jumping right into the Chinese business culture, the MBA team joined a WeChat group with all of the alumni to remain in touch. WeChat is a ubiquitous messaging app in China, used as instant message, email, and phone service all rolled into one. 

    As the group settles into their formal responsibilities for the next three weeks with LeeWorld’s G9 development, the alumni event will provide them with useful guidance and inspiration. It is a tremendous opportunity to expand Ohio State’s footprint globally and prove that no matter where you are you can shout “O-H” and hear an “I-O.”