Chinese businesses convene in Wharton forum

Over 430 suit-clad undergraduates, MBA students and professionals from around the world had Huntsman Hall bustling all day Saturday at the Wharton China Business Forum.

This year’s forum, the eighth hosted by the student-run Wharton China Business Society, was themed “China Moving Forward: Up and Coming Opportunities.” Offering an insider perspective on the Chinese economy and business environment, the event featured several panels and keynotes by Chief Economist and Vice President of FedEx Gene Huang, Chief Financial Officer of Nike Inc. Donald Blair, Managing Partner of Oliver Wyman Asia Pacific Anthony Stevens, and Founder and President of Suning Zhang Jindong.

“Now it may seem obvious to have a conference on China, but ten years ago, we were the first,” said Louis Bi, co-president of the executive team hosting the event and a Wharton senior.

“When I was a freshman, it was all about ‘China has potential,” Bi said. “Now, people have shifted gears,” he noted, continuing that though there is much optimism, many of the forum’s speakers also questioned the sustainability of such success.

“Is it really a miracle? Can it be sustainable?” asked Huang during his keynote speech regarding China’s “tremendous economic growth” in the last decade.

“One of the big takeaways is that with these up-and-coming opportunities in China come new problems that the country has to solve,” Bi said.

According to Bi, attendance was not only high, but also diverse. “Actually, more people from outside Penn then in Penn are here,” he said.

The event “gives undergrads a chance to meet a lot of high-level business executives and get a better understanding of the Chinese economy,” Bi said. For MBAs, the event is “more about networking” and potential job opportunities.

Wang Chen, a junior from Peking University in Beijing, commented that the forum gave him a “good exposure to real business life” and that he was impressed with the prestigious speakers. “I hope I have the chance to come back again,” he added.

Bi explained another draw for the event is business groups looking to hold similar forums at their own universities.

Kelly Long, a sophomore at Michigan State, said he and a group of students from the Broad China Business Society drove 11 hours to come to the forum. “It was definitely worth it,” he said. “We’re looking to put on something similar to this next year.”

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