China Links Forged With Beijing Visit

Jet-setting students from The Sixth Form College, Solihull have just returned from a trip to Beijing in China.

The purpose of the trip, which saw nine students completing a Business studies course, was to get a global perspective on business practice. The students took part in an International Business Workshop, which included a presentation to Chinese students at The High School Affiliated to Beijing Normal University. The presentation covered a number of business themes and the Chinese students responded with a presentation of their own on the same themes but from a Chinese perspective. The Solihull students used nearby Cadbury’s as their business example, while the Chinese students chose multi-national corporation BP.

Whilst at the school the students attended a Biology lesson and a Design Technology lesson in which they participated alongside their Chinese counterparts. The two sets of students also spent time together during the recreational hour after lunch, in which they played basketball and observed a choir that was rehearsing for a major national competition.

The trip included a visit to Land Rover in Beijing (pictured above), where the students were given a talk from the Sales Manager on the Land Rover models, demographic breakdown and a tour of the showroom.

There was additional time for the students to visit some of the sights in Beijing, including Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace. They also walked a section of the Great Wall of China and visited Beijing Zoo to see the country’s most famous animal, the panda.

Business teacher at the College, Ranjit Hayer, commented: "The week-long trip was an excellent experience for all the students. China is an ever increasing global superpower and their business activities have a big impact on economies all around the world. It was useful for our students to see how they do things, compared to the way businesses operate in the UK."

Assistant Principal at the College, Mike Padbury, also went on the trip. "The interaction with students at The High School Affiliated to Beijing Normal University was fascinating," he said. "There are obviously some big cultural difference between the British and the Chinese, so a visit like this is valuable for both sets of students. We have been working with the school for a number of years now and we are very grateful to them for their hospitality.

"The students also really enjoyed the opportunity to look around Beijing and embrace the Chinese culture. They saw some of the major tourist attractions and even visited a night market. However, none of the students were tempted to try eating the local delicacies of scorpion or cockroach on a stick! In the Silk Market the students practiced their bargaining skills, with varying degrees of success!"