____________________
Leadership

Laurier business students travel to China to host leadership workshops

WATERLOO – Ten senior business students from Wilfrid Laurier University will travel to post- secondary schools in China beginning June 30 to lead workshops in business and entrepreneurship, while also gaining valuable insight into a diverse business environment.

Laurier students will conduct two workshops as part of the two-week-long International Student Leadership Conference at the Concord College of Sino-Canada. Located in Beijing and Shenzhen, this privately owned school was the first of its kind in China to offer a Canadian curriculum. Graduating students earn diplomas from both Chinese and Canadian school boards. Francis Pang, who received an honorary doctor of laws degree from Laurier in 2010, established the CCSC in 1997 and has since opened three more schools. More than 600 CCSC graduates attend Canadian universities each year.

“The conference provides Laurier business students with the unique opportunity to gain valuable insights into the future leaders of China,” said Peter Donahue, director of Laurier International. “By helping high school students from one of China's leading international schools build their capacities for leadership and entrepreneurship, Laurier's students are gaining incredible insights into the future of the Chinese business environment and unprecedented Sino-Canadian relations.”

The Laurier students are part of The Link, a student-run organization in Laurier’s School of Business & Economics. This is the fourth consecutive year that Link executives will travel to China to develop this mutually beneficial partnership between Laurier and Concord College of CCSC. Pang is a supporter of the program.

“This initiative allows Laurier students to further enhance their business skills while also experiencing a diverse and unique business culture,” said Lucy Zhang, vice-president, international, of The Link. “At the same time, the CCSC students are able to learn fundamental business concepts while developing an understanding of North American business culture.”

The students will facilitate business workshops and an integrated case study for students in grades 10 to 12. The workshops involve business strategy, human resource management, marketing, operations, and management accounting.

The Laurier participants this year include Stephen Jensen, Vivian Yu, Lucy Zhang, Samantha Startek, Dragana Savic, Rebecca Nezon, Michelle Choong, Shannon Martin, Angela Wong and Sadaf Qayami.