前两天更新了IE对长江商学院西班牙之行的文章CKGSB's Chinese executives attending 4-day Open Program "Europe: an Inside View" @IE，今天上午Google Alert就搜到了长江对西班牙之行的文章，现摘录全文“一场人文盛宴，一次心灵洗礼：2008长江商学院西班牙商务考察项目圆满结束“如下：

“当南部随着弗拉明戈的激烈节奏飞舞鲜丽裙裾时，北方却终年如一日地沉睡在中世纪的冷峻严谨里——人们说，这是一个极端的国家。这里的人民骨子里的奔放热情与令人窒息的历史阴影并存，交织成浓烈复杂、撼动人心的美。这就是西班牙！”

2008年6月22日，长江商学院一行16人，带着对神秘国度的憧憬和对灿烂文明的向往，踏上了这一片洒满阳光的大地，开始了为期12天的西班牙考察项目。

身未动，心已远

2008年长江商学院西班牙考察项目从最初的设计和策划，就突破了传统的思路，将对人文元素的考察和体验贯穿到了项目始终，以更大的力度探求独特的历史、文化与社会体制为经济活动带来的机遇与挑战。考察团启程前一天，一场题为“回首哥伦布，感悟西班牙”的讲座在学员企业北京龙湖•滟澜山别墅会所举行，原北京大学西语系主任、中国西班牙、葡萄牙、拉丁美洲文学研究会会长赵振江教授娓娓道来，为学员们勾勒了西班牙两千年来的历史发展脉络，以及这种历史背景所造就的宗教、哲学、艺术等人文特性和文化瑰宝。波澜壮阔的历史宏图与绚丽夺目的艺术经典，令人身未动、心已远，对这一远在西南欧的国家产生了无限的遐思。

在西班牙首都马德里，学院与战略合作伙伴西班牙IE商学院二度携手，为学员们提供了4天的精彩课程。当代西班牙概况、西班牙与欧洲的经济结构、西班牙与拉丁美洲的经济联系等课程循序渐进地帮助学员们建立了对西班牙宏观经济和社会制度的认知与了解；西班牙企业的创新机制与国际扩张战略的课程则从企业战略和管理的实践出发，进行了理论与案例相结合的阐述。而与几位长年在西班牙生活工作的华人企业家的座谈，将本次课程部分推向高潮。学员们纷纷表示，对东方管理者眼中的欧洲商业社会的探讨具有极大的参考价值。热烈的讨论从课堂一直延续到午餐结束，仍令很多人感到意犹未尽。

企业考察——游走于传统与现代间

在企业参观方面，考察团一行走访了两家世界500强企业——西班牙电信（Telefonica）和西班牙对外银行（BBVA），以及一家西班牙特色企业罗意威（Loewe）。西电集团对未来电信技术创新的大胆描绘冲击着每个人的感官和想象力；西班牙对外银行坚守企业战略稳步推进市场的坚韧精神博得全体学员的敬重；而罗意威展室里历经百年仍旧精致入时的皮具又将所有人带入了一个传统与现代完美结合的意境。

今年项目精心策划的人文考察环节，将学员们带往世界文化遗产千年古都托雷多，并深入西班牙历史与文化发源地安达卢西亚大区，访问科尔多瓦、塞维利亚和格拉纳达三大主要城市。学员们时时处处深切感受到多种人类文明冲撞与融合所造就的震撼人心的美……在全球化的今天，我们如何能做到以史为鉴，在兼收并蓄中激发自身的活力？相信这是每一个在科尔多瓦主教堂里、在阿尔汉布拉宫内发出惊叹呼声的人发自内心更深处的感叹。

今年西班牙考察项目的成员来自EMBA首期班开始的不同班级。一路从首都马德里行进到蔚蓝的地中海岸，团队成员之间建立了深厚的感情。大家抛开了世俗的身份，包容了个性的差异，一起在佛拉明戈舞步中挥洒汗水，共同在欧洲杯决赛的画面前振臂欢呼。

回顾12天的短暂行程，众多学员表示，最大的收获来自于心灵的释放，和对人生价值的重新思索。“长江商学院的国际商务考察项目是一个很好的载体和平台，是长江独有的特色。我要每年至少参加一个这样的项目，一直在此平台上持续地学习下去。”一位七期学员在考察结束前，道出了大家共同的心声。

相关报道：

西班牙主要经济报刊《Expansion》报道
这份西班牙主要经济刊物在显著位置并以较大篇幅，分别介绍了长江商学院与西班牙IE商学院的合作项目，以及长江商学院本次商务考察行程中部分长江学员的心得，并配发了学员合影照片。

西班牙IE商学院中文博客
西班牙IE商学院作为西语地区的知名商学院之一，也在“中文潮”中开辟了中文博客。这一方面体现了西班牙对于中国这个新兴市场的重视程度，同时也可视为中西方交流的窗口与平台。对于长江商学院此次西班牙商务考察之行，中文博客以快速、便捷的特点对活动图文并茂的进行了回顾与总结。

下面是教授Oswaldo Lorenzo对目前全球供应链话题 (Supply Chain Management) 的一个概述。他同时也是IE商学院Executive Master in Global Supply Chains的管理项目负责人，也可以参看该项目的Blog of Executive Master in Global Supply Chains 获得更深认识。

本月11日他受西班牙驻中国商会、英国和意大利驻中国使馆的邀请，将在广州对该领域内关键公司和商务人士作此话题的讲座。此次中国行，他还应全国精神文明、物质文明典型城市，拥有目前中国最大内陆港口的江南水乡张家港市政府及保税区的盛情相邀，为当地市政官员和工业园区作供应链管理的短期培训。

概述如下：Supply Chain Management (SCM) is increasingly seen as a strategic weapon for global companies. Managers are now using the SCM approach to run their businesses based on an integrative model rather than from the perspective of a single traditional business area, a single organization, or a single country. The SCM approach is allowing managers to integrate all resources, capabilities and processes under an end-to-end management model. As a consequence, SCM is no longer seen as a set of isolated operational and transactional tasks related to purchasing, warehousing, logistics, production and distribution.

Under this new management model, managers and experts acknowledge that today it is not companies that are competing; it is company networks, or supply chains. This involves, for example, the integration of the firm’s competencies with the capabilities of its global suppliers, channel partners, intermediaries or third-party service providers. All this involves the coordination of cross-border processes. Successful European cases include Inditex of Zara, Air Bus, and Ford in Almussafes.

And business organizations are not the only ones feeling the effects of the supply chain phenomenon. It is bringing with it challenges for societies and government worldwide as the negative effects of offshoring begin to be felt. The relocation of plants to Eastern Europe and Asia is seen as a threat by citizens and governments of western countries, whereas this redesign of the network should be viewed as more of a wake-up call than a danger, whereby developed countries refocus their capabilities more toward innovation and knowledge based activities.

Having said that, one of the main challenges companies and business schools are facing today is the shortage of skilled people to manage companies using a SCM approach. This cross-functional and worldwide role requires specialized training and long-term commitment, and supply chain managers are starting to reap the rewards. Companies worldwide have begun to build and encourage the supply chain career.

Finally, it is important to mention that SCM is still a novel trend in the business environment. Even though a number of successful examples are documented and well-known, some senior managers do not fully understand the benefits of managing a company under this approach. Perhaps it is because in some environments SCM is yet seen as a new way of talking about operations or processes, instead of seeing it as a broader approach for management that includes strategic issues, global perspective, cross-border team and process management.

Thanks to Prof. Oswaldo Lorenzo's contribution to this Blog.

这是一场无路可退的“战争”。北京时间2008年5月12日14时28分，四川发生7.8级地震，全国十多个省市有明显震感，人员伤亡惨重。这场罕见的灾害，是对中华民族的又一次磨砺。艰难困苦，玉汝于成，悠久华夏度过了无数惊涛骇浪。同胞们，在灾害面前让我们站直，让我们坚持，坚持意味着机会，意味着新生。在此，让我们用自己的名字铭记，用真诚为灾区人民筑起精神的长城，向世人展示我们的坚毅！
---------优酷网

"Go to China with an open mind, talk to people, learn things for yourself as I did, you may even be pleasantly suprised."
----CanadianTuBaoZi

Watch the video :)

好吧，既然前面介绍了学校去张家港 的事，这里附带介绍一下这个江南小城。

张家港在90年代中期的中国曾经红透大江南北，被誉为中国“精神文明”和“物质文明”双丰收的典型。一是因为快速发展的经济水平使得其人均GDP在当年大大超过了同级别甚至更高级别的行政市；二是因为当年“严惩重赏”树立城市文明新风的决心和措施确实创造了一个近乎“一尘不染”的新小城。于是，几乎所有的国家重要领导人都来了，还一度被国内媒体炒作成中国的“新加坡”，咳咳。

不过这个位于“江南渔米”之乡的小城确实也不负众望，小城人民自创了一个口号“团结拼搏，负重奋进，自加压力，敢于争先”的精神，凭借着其得天独厚背靠“黄金水道”长江的优势，以及活跃地对外贸易活动，小城不仅牢牢树立了其经济发展水平居全国县级市前三位的牢固地位，而且还是中国首家国家环保模范城市，中国首批国家卫生城市，先后荣获“国家园林城市”、“国际花园城市”和“中国优秀旅游城市”等多个国家级奖项。 2006年又成为全国第一批生态市，并荣获中国人居环境奖。

This article "Alternative Reality" published in Jan. 31st, 2008 in Economist has indeed many insights about current China's reality of online population.

Here are some of Chinese perspecives about the article's comments on "Chinese way".

1) “For them and for many users in China, the internet is not truly a worldwide web: it is only as wide as China. But China's internet community is evidently a world unto itself. “

Well, I think the language is a big problem for most average Chinese to explore the world. Even though we start compulsory English courses in middle school (now starting from primary school, some rich kids even earlier), many of us only “use” English in exams, which restricting us the access to the international world.

Besides, many of us don’t have as much freedom to go outside China due to political/economical limitations, nor as much exposure to foreigners as westerners do. Also, the country is so big and very different from region to region, somehow, it seems no need to have more “diversity”.

But for the generation born after 1975, we are more influenced by Western culture, or say, the American culture, and eager to explore non China world. I can say 90% percent of Chinese of this generation who have university degree (or above), who work for multinationals, who grew up watching foreign cartoons… feel more emotionally connected to the western popular culture. I personally think it is because that after 10 years of Cultural Revolution ending in 1977, we lost many Chinese traditions, so the foreign culture brought by the “Reform and Opening up” starting in 1978 easily occupied our childhood life.

2) Although there are tight constraints on the provision of hard news, internet sites such as Sina and Sohu provide a steady supply of gossip, features, dabs of propaganda and slightly salacious stories and photos, and are constantly testing the boundaries of what is permissible.

Well, it has been like this throughout the Chinese history, that is, the ruling class wants to control the mass by controlling/guiding the mainstream thoughts, while the mass will ALWAYS “rebel” in private.

3) Because of the single-child policy, have no siblings and are searching for virtual friendships.

This is true. Actually many Chinese go on line only to play online multiplayer games and chat on different messengers like Tencent and MSN.

As for me, I’m also amazed at the some of self created entertainment videos on Chinese popular video site such as Youku, Tudou, 5Show.

Different from our public behaviors which are perceived as more reserved than westerners, those videos are very expressive, some crazy and even doing “stupid” things. My personal explanation is that we’ve been repressed so long time, so we use internet as a release channel. And thanks to the government that they care more about “inappropriate political thoughts” than the mass pop culture.

Just Show you examples of these two extreme popular fun groups in China.

1) Group “Back Dormitory Boys” (后舍男生), they try to reinterpret all popular songs in their own funny way without actually singing.

2) Group “Crazy Peasant Worker” (民工也疯狂), this is one of their funny series based on the popular Chinese movie “Curse of the golden flower”.

Posted by YAN HUANG on 1 February 2008 in East-2-West | Permalink | Comments (0)

   October 24, 2007   

Foreign media having more reports about China

Looking at many of current western media, there are more reports about China, and the topics are very much diversified with positive, negative, neutral perspectives. Citing today's Wall Street Journal as an example, in its 32 pages of newspaper, 5 reports are about China. Well, from a personal point of view, it is always a good thing to get a third party feedback, positive or negative, to help improve and make adjustments to ongoing situations.

These 5 reports are:
1) "Bear grabs China toehold" in Section "LEADING THE NEWS“, which analyzes the deal of Wall Street titan Bear and Beijing-based Citic's $1 billion investment in one another.

2) "Challenge for China's Hu: Local officials" in Section "ECONOMY & PLOLITICS", which focuses on how the newly formed central government leaders "get solutions into place across a huge and increasingly divided nation" centering on the latest meeting of The 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

3) "News magnate baits Beijing by pairing politics and sex" in Section "NEWS INDEPTH", which tells stories of Jimmy Lai, Hong Kong Next Media founder and the wealthiest media owner in Great China, who agitates for China democracy and media freedom in his media practice.

4) "Gateway to a China IPO" in Section "THE INTERNATIONAL INVESTOR, which explains how a once little known Chinese B-2-B website Alibaba grew up into an internet company with value of US$1.49 billion, with overtaken control of eBay and Yahoo's Chinese operations.

5) "China becomes a beacon to the world's in Section "MARKETPLACE", which talks about China's open attitude towards foreign business emigrants with a feature story of an Islamic trader doing business in Yiwu, a city 4 hours south of Shanghai.

Posted by YAN HUANG on 24 October 2007 in East-2-West | Permalink | Comments (0)

   November 10, 2005   

Looking for Shanghai at Google News...

.. and I just found news about the tennis masters.

I'll look somewhere else.

Posted by blogs Administrator on 10 November 2005 in East-2-West | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

   November 05, 2005   

The International Executive MBA moves to Shanghai

After several years going to Miami for the intermediate on-campus period, the International Executive MBA of the Instituto de Empresa is moving to Shanghai.

The International Executive MBA is an on-line programme that has three two weeks long residential periods.
Till June 2005, the intermidiate on-campus periods were done in Miami. From January 2006, they will be done at Fudan University , in Shanghai.
We think this is a great opportunity for our students to start knowing China and their way to do business.
Apart from having exams and classes (as in every MBA), we will have conferences by Fudan School of Management faculty and we will visit several companies.
We will be in Shanghai from January 9th 2006 to January 20th 2006, and we will be more than happy to contact IE Alumni and friends who want toshare their experience with us.

Posted by blogs Administrator on 5 November 2005 in East-2-West | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)