A group of Alabama State University students recently visited Beijing, China, and got a real-life lesson in international business.

While many students headed south to the beach for spring break, 14 ASU students headed to the Far East – to China.

Chris Harris is a senior majoring in computer information systems in ASU’s College of Business Administration. The Evergreen native said the trip to China will help prepare him to compete in the global arena.

“The major companies are looking for individuals who have real life experience. This trip will give me an advantage over people I’m competing with because it shows that I am not afraid of challenges, that I have a diverse mindset and that I have firsthand international experience,” Harris said.

The students, along with faculty and staff members, visited Beijing March 15-23. They toured several companies including Lenovo Computers, Hyundai Motors, Mengniu Dairy and the Coca-Cola Bottling Company.

Dr. Kamal Hingorani, acting chair and associate professor of computer information systems, traveled to Beijing with the students. He said study-tour experiences are invaluable.

“Experiential learning has been long used as a tool in business education to provide students with hands-on learning exercises that complement their in-class education,” Hingorani said. “Our goal is to train our students to succeed in the global economy of the 21st century.”

The trip wasn’t limited to business students.

Joe Smith, a political science major from Greenville, said he was thrilled to have an opportunity to visit China.

“This trip will definitely help me as I pursue my goals to become an attorney,” Smith said. “The trip enlightened me. I will be able to connect with different people better because I have a new understanding and perspective about people, their differences and how business is done outside of the United States.”

The China study-tour is part of a Business and International Education grant awarded to ASU by the U.S. Department of Education.

Smith is the son of Adrian Shambray and the great-nephew of the late Oscar E. Shambray, the person for whom the Butler County Alabama State University Alumni Chapter of Alabama was named.