On November 30th, 2018, under the guidance of Zhai Xin, associate professor of Department of Management Science and Information System at Guanghua School of Management, nearly 30 Chinese and foreign students from over 10 countries visited China Gezhouba(Group) Corporation and investigated its international operation under the "the Belt and Road", exploring the development of China from the perspective of Chinese enterprises.
As the main force of China's "Going Out" policy, Chinese enterprises, represented by China Gezhouba(Group) Corporation , play an important role in the development of the Belt and Road. China Gezhouba (Group) Corporation has extended its business to more than 140 countries and regions in the world, covering more than 90% of the countries along the Belt and Road. It has built or invested many infrastructure projects such as hydropower, railways, highways, ports and so on, including the Argentina base hydropower project, Pakistan N-J hydropower project and Angola's Ka Gu Lu Ka Ba Sha hydropower project, which serves as a good case that students can study to gain a deeper understanding of China's development under the "Belt and Road" initiative.
Firstly, students had a comprehensive understanding of China Gezhouba(Group) Corporation's development history, diversified business, technological innovation and corporate social responsibility through visiting the company's corporate culture exhibition hall. Then, students communicated with Yuan Baoyi, the deputy general manager of China Gezhouba(Group) Corporation, and managers in charge of the company's business in America, Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. Yuan Baoyi shared with students China Gezhouba(Group) Corporation's international business and its participation in the concrete practice of "Belt and Road".
Zhai Xin introduced Peking University Belt & Road Institute which is founded by Guanghua School of Management. She said that Guanghua School of Management give full play to its academic advantages to integrate education and research with the practice of "Belt and Road", and actively build a new platform for international exchange end cooperation in the field of education. It is expected that both sides can have in-depth cooperation in the future. She also inspired students to do more academic research regarding the topic of BRI in light of her ongoing case study on China Gezhouba(Group) Corporation's construction of Kizhai Hydropower Station in Argentina.
During the one-hour question-and-answer session, the students actively exchanged their ideas with staff present in terms of the company's internationalization strategy, localization strategy, technological innovation and talent training. After entering the foreign market, it is very important for Chinese enterprises to take root and expand in local areas and make sure that their projects bring benefits to the local people. During this visit, the students learned how to combine their personal development with local people's needs through specific projects. And they know how to further explore international market with the idea of "taking root in the local area and contributing to the local people", thus bringing real changes to local people's lives.
Students said that the event was informative and they gained real "Chinese experience" through this visit. Lectures on Understanding China introduced China's enterprises, China's economic development and the Belt and Road to students from the perspective of scholars, policymakers and enterprises. Through listening to these lectures, students may explore more questions worthy of consideration.
"The company visit to CGGC was very impressive in all aspects. CGGC being such a giant global corporation, it offered an accurate snapshot of China’s world-wide presence especially in the context of BRI. The Q&A session with the vice president was very insightful in that we learned about the company and its future prospects from the real decision makers. It was interesting to learn that CGGC is a strong advocate of green energy and that it is trying to share its technology for mutual development with its partnered nations. The company visit to CGGC allowed me to grasp a solid understanding of BRI and Chinese corporations."
-- Won Kim, Exchange Student
"CGGC has scale and experience, but strategic alliances withlocal players and policy makers will be key in opening new markets and growing existing ones. The role of Chinese FDI has changed nature, and Chinese firms have started to emphasize continued training and operations in foreign markets to ensure that its projects can local people truly benefit from FDI projects. This is just one of many ways that we learned the CGGC has taken a leading role as cooperation and interdependence continue to shape foreign affairs and economic growth for China and its partners under the Belt & Road Initiative."
-- Warren Jiang, Exchange Student
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