EMBA students visit Hong Kong and Vietnam
Executive MBA Students in the Dominion Cohort visited Hong Kong and Vietnam during their 10-day international residency trip in February 2010.
The students, led by program executive director Charles Jacobina, visited workplaces and cultural sites. In Hong Kong, the group visited the Alcoa, where they met Mr. Anil Govada, a Pamplin alum and Managing Director of Alcoa in Asia. They also visited the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council and Hong Kong University where they met with Dr. Michael Enright, a HKU professor who graduated from Harvard University. The students enjoyed a day at The Hong Kong Jockey Club one of the largest racing clubs in the world. (Horse racing is the most popular spectator sport in HK.) During their free time, students visited the Tian Tan Buddha, one of the five largest Buddha statues in the world and enjoyed an evening light show during the Chinese New Year celebration.
In Vietnam, the group met with one of the commercial officers at the U.S. Embassy and were briefed about Vietnam’s emerging economy and growth opportunities. The group also went to Nike factory, IDG Ventures, Cyworld and the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange. The students visited a Buddhist temple, the War Remnants Museum and saw a water puppet show at the Golden Dragon Theater. They also went on a boat ride through the Mekong Delta and enjoyed traditional Vietnamese food during their stay in Ho Chi Minh. During their free time, students visited the Cu Chi tunnels (AKA, Viet Cong tunnels) famous during the Vietnam War.
The 18 students completed their program in March 2010.
High-growth companies are the focus of the executive MBA’s 10-day international residency trip, which has taken previous cohorts to Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Russia, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland, China and Vietnam. The trip is aimed at giving students a first-hand look at strategies that have led to business success in other countries, says Jacobina “Students get to see how the local environment affects business and experience aspects of international culture.”
The Executive MBA program, launched in 2003, offers executives a graduate business program that accommodates professional travel and schedule demands without disrupting their progress toward earning an MBA. “The program is designed for busy, experienced professionals with or without business degrees,” says Jacobina. Its broad curriculum seeks to provide an understanding of the major elements of business, examines the ethical and global implications of management, and prepares managers for making decisions in a rapidly changing world, he says. “Our program is designed to integrate theory and practice, enhance the executive skills required for participants’ career advancement, prepare them to take their learning onto a global playing field, enhance their personal confidence, and promote networking opportunities among them.”
The program—one of several MBA programs full time and part time, that the Pamplin College offers—is fully accredited by AACSB International – the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Classes, all taught by doctoral faculty, are held at Virginia Tech’s Northern Virginia Center every other weekend over an 18-month period. Students are recruited for cohorts beginning each September and February.