Students from Chinese 321S Engage in Cross-Cultural Dialogues with Lenovo Reps
Pictured: Nicholas Court, a Duke junior majoring in Economics and Chinese called the cross-cultural dialogue an "incredible opportunity". "You can take a class in English about business in China, but to really understand what's going on, you need to be able to speak Chinese and actually interact with people from that part of the world who are engaging in that specific sector of business.”
Business and Interculturality in Chinese Society (Chinese 321S) is a CBLI (Community-Based Language Initiative) course taught by Professor Carolyn Lee, Director of Duke's Chinese Language Program and Study in China program. The course explores China's Economic Reform from the late 1970s to 1990s as well as cross-cultural issues relating to cultural norms and values in the business context. Each year, the course hosts a 2-hour cross-cultural dialogue, providing a unique opportunity for students to use their Chinese language skills while sharing cultural perspectives on a variety of topics. This year, students met with representatives from Lenovo, a tech company based in China, with headquarters in Raleigh. Students had been studying the company throughout the semester, developing case studies on various policies Lenovo implements in China, the U.S. and worldwide.
Because Lenovo is a Chinese company transitioning to a U.S. market (Lenovo bought IBM PC sectors in 2005), it was the perfect opportunity for students to analyze the impact of cultural values. Lee says cross-cultural dialogues provide the perfect forum for the type of in-depth discussions that can’t happen in the classroom; an interaction that leads to increased social, local and global awareness:
“Students got to hear first-hand how Lenovo adapted themselves to the U.S. markets and overcame culturally related issues that go beyond language. They discussed all the subtleties and complexities behind business strategies and decision making. It goes way beyond the figures and numbers they see from Wall Street and helps to build a shared sense of the commonality of humanity.”
Professor Lee (pictured above) noted that many of the Lenovo reps were impressed by how well the students were able to communicate about business issues and are looking into more opportunities to share with each other in the future.
Court added that many of the preconceptions he had about China--it’s economy, politics and people--really didn’t add up to the stereotypes he had before the course:
“That just happens through interaction, when you have to speak to somebody who you believe to be a certain way and they end up being completely different. It really it kinda shakes you a little bit, but in a good way, and in a way that's necessary. I don’t think I would have found that with any other course here at Duke and I'm glad I had the opportunity to be exposed to that.”
Students from Chinese 321S pose for a group photo with representatives from Lenovo.
