American students enroll in BSBA programs because they hope one day to run their own businesses or perhaps to become captains of industry. Some will settle for a mid-level job in investment banking or a similar field. But what about international students? Why do they attend American colleges and universities and work toward degrees in business?
I posed this question recently to a 20-year-old student named Yanyan Qu from Yantai, China. She is studying business administration at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, and she has quite definite views on why she (and presumably others) should work for a BSBA degree.
To begin, Yanyan, like many other Chinese, studied English as a second language from primary school through high school. Thus, the United States was a logical choice for further study, as opposed to Japan or perhaps South Korea.
Further, this young woman said she admired the American values of independence and freedom. She conceded that the political system in China is different from that in the United States, but pointed out that the Chinese nevertheless value private enterprise and initiative. The Chinese system is a "mixed economy" that has many opportunities for young men and women trained in business.
At George Mason, Yanyan intends to major in management or accounting--a subject she has done especially well in. After earning her BSBA and working for a year or two she will return to a major university to study for an MBA degree.
Yanyan stated that in the years to come China will increasingly be viewed as an economic powerhouse that is a world leader in business. She intends to help make that happen.
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