Study missions to China and India gave Chaminade University students in the Hogan Entrepreneurs Program in-person looks at two of the world’s largest economies.
This was the 13th year of Hogan trips to China and eighth year of India visits. The journeys featured company visits, networking opportunities and tours of historical and cultural sites, plus internships in China.
Students prepared for the missions by attending seminars and other events exploring economic, political and cultural issues in China and India. They also raised funds for airfare.
“These annual trips to China and India are often life-changing experiences for students,” according to Dr. John Webster, Hogan program director. “The places they see, the people they meet and the cultures they encounter give our students invaluable perspectives on the evolving global economy.”
Guiding eight students through China from June 10 to July 6 was Dr. Caryn Callahan, a Professor of Finance and International Business and Director of the Hogan International Entrepreneurial Study Missions.
“The major thing our students get out of the internships is an up-close and personal look at entrepreneurship in all of its raw glory,” Dr. Callahan said. “They get a chance to have face-to-face contact, working side by side with the Chinese.”
Jackie McGreal, a senior majoring in International Trade, said her internship shed light on the intricacies of importing and exporting.
“I shadowed a logistics specialist who showed me exactly what she does,” McGreal said. “I learned about how unexpectedly complicated it is to make shipping container measurements, since every inch of that container has to be used. Otherwise, there is a loss of money.”
Leading the India study mission from July 6 to 22 was Ginger Miller, assistant to the Hogan director. Miller and four students met with CEOs and managers at 15 companies while visiting Bangalore, Ooty, Coimbatore, Mysore, New Delhi and Agra.
Stops included Titan Industries, the world’s fifth-largest watch manufacturer; Infosys, a global leader in consulting, technology and outsourcing; New Delhi Television, the most-watched news and lifestyle network in India; and the Chhanv Foundation, which rehabilitates and provides employment opportunities for female survivors of acid attacks.
“Our four students were eager to absorb all they saw and did in this country of over one billion people,” Miller said. “They were real troopers when it came to obstacles like delayed flights and long van rides between most cities. But the long haul was well worth it when the end result was opening up doors of their minds to what this part of the world held for them.”
Desiree DePondicchello, a Business Administration major, said the two-and-a-half weeks she spent in India “changed my life for the better.”
“Having the opportunity to visit various businesses in different fields gave me motivation and inspiration to take risks doing what I am most passionate about in life,” DePondicchello said.
Underwriting the entrepreneurial program are Ed and Lynn Hogan, Chair and Vice-Chair of the Hogan Family Foundation. A Freeman Foundation grant helped pay for the China trip, and the India mission was supported by Gulab Watumull (President of Watumull Brothers, Ltd.), his wife Indru Watumull and Hogan advisors Mattson Davis and Rick Tanaka.
The Hogan Entrepreneurs Program is open to all Chaminade undergraduate and graduate students, regardless of their majors. This one- or two-year certificate program provides students with tools, skills, business connections and motivation to succeed in entrepreneurial ventures. The program’s motto is: “Doing business things that make social sense. Doing social things that make business sense.” Information: chaminade.edu/hogan/.
