Bryant welcomes students from the China Future Leadership Project

Chinese college students got a first hand look at Bryant as part of a tour of top American graduate schools.

Bryant welcomed a group of 50 Chinese undergraduate college students to campus at the end of April to share the advantages of pursuing a graduate degree at Bryant. The visit was part of the China Future Leadership Project, which works to establish international opportunities and foster relationships abroad for students in China. The students also visited Harvard and Yale on their tour of colleges in the Northeast.

Mike Roberto, trustee professor of management, extended the invitation to the group who were keenly interested in the work of the U.S.-China Institute, which has sponsored several educational and cultural exchanges with China, including the Bryant-Lingnan Summer Exchange Program.

"These are all top-notch undergraduate students and many are interested in coming to school here in the States," said Roberto.

Jack Trifts, dean of the College of Business, promoted the team-orientated nature of Bryant's graduate programs, which is good preparation for the work world. All students pursuing the Master of Business Administration degree join a cohort of about 30 students who then take the same classes for the duration of the program. The larger cohort is then broken down into smaller teams of about five students who work closely on different class assignments.

"Whether we live in Shanghai or Boston we will be working with a team of global people," said Trifts.

Part of Bryant's mission is to bring the best and brightest students from around the world to Smithfield to learn together and build enduring relationships. "We want to attract students from all over the world to create a global learning community," said David Lux, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

Ray Fogarty, director of the Chafee Center for International Business emphasized the advantages of having a world trade center on campus that organizes events like the annual World Trade Day, which brings people from across the world to Bryant.

'The goal is to develop relationships and conduct businesses that are beneficial to all," said Fogarty.

With China's growing stature in the global economy, it is important to create opportunities for collaboration between the future leaders of each of these countries.

"Each of you has an important role to play in the development of a global economy," said Trifts.

Ultimately, it will be the work of students, educators, and leaders from both countries to establish a framework for the two nations to be trading partners that do not feel threatened by the other, said Bryant President Ronald K. Machtley.

"I see an inextricable link between China, the world, and the United States," he said.

Roberto espoused the case-method approach to teaching at the graduate school level because it allows students to closely examine real companies and learn lessons from their past successes and failures.

"We need leaders who don't just know facts, but who know how to bring people together and create innovative companies," said Roberto.

In addition to the Bryant MBA program, Bryant's Graduate School offers the Master of Professional Accountancy and the Master of Science in Taxation.