2018 Tongji-WU International Summer University (ISU), jointly hosted by Tongji-SEM and Vienna University of Economics and Business, has been successfully held from July 7th to 27th.

Tongji-WU ISU integrated Chinese and Western cultures and connected the Chinese economy with emerging market businesses. Thirty students from the Vienna University of Economics in Austria, the University of Mannheim in Germany, the Michigan State University in the United States and Tongji University formed an multicultural family of international diversity.

The ISU kicked off with a series of lectures on the themes of Chinese Business and Culture. “Confucianism and Chinese Business Culture”, “Human Resource Management in China”, “China’s Economic Reform and Development”, “Entrepreneurship in China”, and “Consumer Behavior and Marketing in China”, immersed the foreign students in an ambience to appreciate the core of Chinese culture and its extension to business. The professors of the Vienna University of Economics have delivered the participants the course “The International Strategy of Emerging Markets”. Professor Jonas PUCK and Dr. Florian KLEIN explained the differences between emerging and advanced markets, analyzed the potential opportunities, risks and challenges of emerging markets and inspired students to think about “how emerging-market companies enter advanced markets and how international companies enter emerging markets from dual-angle perspective of companies”. While studying business theory, 30 Chinese and foreign students were divided into 7 groups to challenge the ultimate task – each group was required to tailor a market expansion strategy based on a real enterprise. Outside the classroom, the students visited three companies – DIDI Chuxing, STIWA (Nantong) Automation Machinery Production Co., Ltd, and China Accelerator, whereby the students obtained a more intuitive understanding of the operation and management of different types of enterprises in the Chinese market. In addition to learning, the host also organized a variety of cross-cultural activities such as learning Chinese calligraphy, making dumplings, Chinese and foreign national costume display, cultural performances, interactive games, etc., which helped participants break ice, blend together, understand each other and build friendship.

As a Chinese poem depicting summer says, “Green lotus leaves outspread as far as boundless sky, pink lotus blossoms take from sunshine a new dye”, although the three-week summer program is short, it has left a plenty of gorgeous memories in everyone’s heart. 

Founded in 1898, the Vienna University of Economics is a comprehensive university with a history of more than 100 years. It enjoys a high international reputation in the field of economics and business administration and is currently the largest economic university in Europe. The school has passed the EQUIS, AACSB and AMBA accreditations. In 2017, it ranked 44th in the FT ranking of European Business School, and its Master of Management program ranked 13th in the FT ranking.