Hello,
We are Emiliana, Nieves y Lola, and in this blog we are going to tell about our experience in Ámsterdam and in Hogeschool van Amsterdam.
We travelled from Spain, to different campuses, Barcelona, Valencia, Zaragoza and Sevilla.
Our trip started on Sunday. We were very excited for this experience, to learn about Chinese economic development, learn about the university, to meet new people and visit Amsterdam and this culture.
Let’s go…
Monday
On the first day of class, all the students came in and there was a very positive atmosphere in the classroom.
We learned about how China is changing from export-driven to Consumer – driven, we learned about Angus Maddison and Justin Yifu Lin. And the 5 years plan that China Had in Mao’s Era. We found the class very interesting, and felt that we really learned about China’s policies.
We then had a lunch break and rest and then headed to the ABN-AMRO bank.
After this experience, the students went to the center to get to know each other better. Then we all went together to the restaurant where a delicious Chinese meal was waiting for us, so that we could get to know Chinese culture better.
Tuesday
The next morning we went to the university and had our second class. This time we talked about Chinese customs, how to start a business in China and the main differences we can perceive with western countries.
And without expecting anything, a new teacher entered our class and started to give us Chinese lessons.
In the afternoon we went to visit the «Rijksmuseum», where we could see some very important works of art and some historical remains.
Wednesday
This day we went to the university to give our class. In this case, we started talking about a very important expression to know when greeting a Chinese person and talking about business.
And later, in the afternoon, we went to visit Huawei’s facilities, where we received information about its business model, its systems, and we were able to see part of the brand’s equipment and the new projects it proposes.
Thursday
In this case the day was divided into three parts: in the first part we continued to learn about economics or some laws that do not exist in China and their tips for the negotiation process.
In the second part we were able to learn a bit more Chinese. Honestly, at no time did we think we would be able to speak any Chinese, a language that we thought impossible but that after the trip we do not rule out practising in the future.
In the evening, we were able to spend a few hours together as a team in a bar and continue the process of getting to know each other. At the end of the experience, we can say that it was the most important part of this Business Study Tour. Having the opportunity to meet more people who could be future colleagues, sharing time, anecdotes and terms that we have been learning throughout this time in the master.
On Friday we finished our lessons and had to take our final exam. We were also able to listen to the final presentation of our excellent hostess in Amsterdam, from whom we received excellent attention. Afterwards, we were able to visit unique places in Amsterdam, such as the «Anne Frank House» or really interesting tours through the city.
On Saturday we all packed our bags and set off for each of the Spanish cities we came from.
This week’s reading is that the relationships established with classmates from other campuses have been very satisfactory and being able to learn about new customs and cultures is always a good plan. It has really been a very enriching experience and we hope to meet again soon to continue sharing our experiences.