General Info

An award-winning program, the Supply Chain Management Program in Hong Kong offers students the opportunity to follow a series of products through the supply chain from the store to the source. The journey begins at a TARGET store in Austin, and continues  to the source in Mainland China – this includes visits to a Target Distribution Center in Midlothian, Texas, and port facilities in Los Angeles and Mainland China. Students will go beyond the textbook and see supply chain management in action while earning 6 UT credits at the prestigious Chinese University of Hong Kong.

• Program Duration: 5 weeks, first summer session  (June 2-July 5, 2012 )
•  Eligibility: This program is open to UT undergraduates with a minimum 2.5 GPA. Successful completion of the following course by summer of participation: STA 309 . Please note, meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee acceptance into the program.
• Pre-program visits: Program includes required company visits in Austin and Midlothian Texas in May, as well as a two night stay in Los Angeles prior to departure to Hong Kong.   View the proposed 2012 Pre-HK Itinerary!
  

  Check-in to LA dorms	June 2, 2012
  Check-in to HK dorms	June 6, 2012
  Check-out of HK dorms	July 7, 2012

NOTE: Due to the pre-HK itinerary of this program, students are discouraged from purchasing airfare before receiving detailed information on the LA schedule from the Program Coordinator. In Dec-Jan, students will be sent recommended flights from LA to Hong Kong which fit in with the LA portion of the trip.

Flights from LA to Hong Kong should not depart before 8p.m. on Monday, June 4. Please view recommended flights for 2012.

Academics

About Your Courses

1. Operations Management- Taught by UT faculty
   OM335 (H)
   See the course syllabus
2. Doing Business with Chinese Suppliers- Taught by CUHK faculty 
   IB372 or OM340S or IB320F
   See the course syllabus when available

       Classes take place Monday-Thursday (usually 9-1PM, some exceptions)

About the Partner University

The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) is a comprehensive research-led university delivering high-quality education on both undergraduate and postgraduate levels and serving the community with its cutting-edge research capability. Boasting prominent faculty including Nobel Prize winners, it currently ranks #2 in Hong Kong and #5 in Asia.  Visit the CUHK website:  http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/english/index.html

About the Faculty

Michael Hasler

Michael Hasler is a Lecturer at the Red McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin where he teaches both graduate and undergraduate courses in the Information, Risk, and Operations Management department. He is also the Associate Academic Director for the Supply Chain Management Center of Excellence at McCombs. The bulk of his professional experience was in the auto industry in Supply Chain and Operations, and he moved to high technology in the semiconductor equipment industry with Applied Materials in Austin, Texas in 1996. While at Applied he helped launch their Supply Chain Management activity, led operations for a $1 billion division, and was the Head of Global Materials Operations before leaving in 2003. As one of the operations executives at Applied, he was chosen to help create and lead Applied Materials’ Leadership Development program, and it was this experience that led to his PhD in Human Resource Development at Texas A&M University in 2009.

Over the past 3 years, Hasler has taught BBA and MBA courses in Operations and Procurement as well as practicum, project-based courses at both levels.  Recently, one of the courses he developed in cooperation with Target Corporation and the UT Center for International Business Education and Research has received wide recognition for classroom innovation.  Additionally, he has coordinated the development of the McCombs Executive Education certificate program in Supply Chain Management that began in the spring of 2011.

A native of the Midwestern US, Michael (Mike) Hasler grew up in Indiana and Michigan, and has lived throughout the Great Lakes region. With his bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from General Motors Institute (now Kettering University), Mike spent over twenty years in the auto industry working for a few different companies including General Motors and Nissan; as well as owning a company that supported the auto, defense, and engineering industries. During this time, he attended the University of Virginia as a GM Fellow, where he obtained a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Engineering in Systems Engineering. Mike and his wife, Nancy, are the parents of two adult children—Adam and Whitney—and live in Dripping Springs, Texas. 

Company Visits

Company visits are a central component of the Supply Chain Management Program in Hong Kong. In collaboration with TARGET, students begin their company visits even before arriving in Hong Kong with visits in Austin, Texas, Midlothian, Texas and Los Angeles.

Not only will the visits provide students with first hand understanding of each step in the supply chain, but they also  provide students with a firsthand look of important local industries and business practices. Many of the company visits take place during the 5-day mainland China trip, where students will visit the production facilities of their products. Company visits will vary each year, depending on the product being followed, however, past companies have included:

• Yantian International Container Terminals
• Kinpo Electrics, Inc.
• Garment Factory

5-Day Mainland China Trip

This is the only BBA program with a weeklong trip included. As part of the program, students will take a 5-day trip to the Southern Chinese province of Guangdong. 

During this trip, students will tour many of the product suppliers and facilities.  In addition, students will be able to experience a different China, and gain first-hand understanding of local cultures and customs. Transportation and accomodations are included as part of the program.

Cultural Excursions

Cultural Excursions provide students with the opportunity to experience the local flavor. Weekly cultural outings are coordinated on behalf of the group, including all admission fees. These events are built into the program, and participation is mandatory. With this in mind, cultural excursions are designed to fit into the program schedule and will usually take place M-Th in the early evenings, so as not to interfere with courses or weekend travel. Excursions will vary on a yearly basis, and past excursions include:

• Pink Dolphin Watching
• Big Buddah Visit
• Traditional Tea Tasing
• Dim Sum Tasting
  

Accommodations

Participants reside in CUHK student residences. The dormitories are double or triple occupancy rooms, and students will be able to request a roommate. The residences are centrally located within the CUHK campus and are a five minute walk to the local train, and a ten minute walk to class.

• Earliest Check-in to LA dorms: June 2, 2012
• Earliest Check-in to HK dorms: June 6, 2012    
• Latest Check-out of HK dorms: July 7, 2012

 

Fees and Tuition

 *2011 tuition. Please check back for 2012 tuition

• For information on payment, managing your budget and info on financial aid, please visit our Financial Resources page. 
• For information on total program cost including airfare, meals, etc, please follow this link.
  
  

Orientation, Support & Learning

Orientation Before and After the Program

As part of the CIBER experience, CIBER hosts a series of pre-departure sessions intended to prepare our students for their upcoming summer. The sessions are led by both the UT faculty and CIBER staff. Topics include useful logistical information about the city, school, courses, culture, language, and much more!

In addition, returning students will participate in a re-entry session where they will receive information on staying involved with international education and guidance on how to leverage their CIBER experience during recruiting.

On-site Support

Upon their arrival in Hong Kong, participants will be greeted by an on-site McCombs staff (known as the cultural liaison) who will be available full-time throughout the duration of the program, and will coordinate group activities and cultural excursions. The liaison is usually a UT graduate student, and is knowledgeable on the language, city and culture of the host country. The liaison will live with the students on-site, and is available to assist the students with any questions or concerns. For convenience, the liaison carries a local cell phone at all times, and is easily reached for emergencies. In addition, the liaison serves as the main communication line between the CIBER office and the abroad program and remain in close communication with CIBER throughout the program.

Cultural Learning Abroad and Beyond 

CIBER strongly believes in the impact of international experience on future intercultural skills, important for today's increasingly interconnected world. To address these important skills, CIBER summer programs feature a component designed to help students make the most of the 5 week program, facilitating cultural investigation beyond the classes and cultural excursions.

Cultural Analysis Assignment

As part of the CIBER Program, participants will be responsible for completing a short cultural analysis of the local culture. They will receive instructions and guidance through the process. In addition, each student will receive a set of materials which they can use not only during this assignment, but in their future careers. The assignment is designed to be a short, fun and enriching group activity. Upon submission, students will receive valuable feedback from CIBER staff on their analysis, and all contributions will be compiled into the class' group observations of the culture. For more information on the Cultural Toolkit Materials and to view a sample student assignment, please visit the CIBER Cultural Analysis Toolkit page.

Guidance Upon Returning

 During the re-entry session, students will receive feedback and guidance from the CIBER Assistant Director on how to leverage the cultural analysis project and skills they have developed during study abroad as a differentiator in recruiting and throughout their careers. For more information on study abroad and your future career, please visit Study Abroad and Your Career.

Why Hong Kong?

“Students studying in our global economy can gain a lot from the CIBER study abroad experience” says Ben Kwiatkowski, 2011 MPA Hong Kong participant. The 5 week programs are designed to develop the practice of taking an international perspective on accounting and supply chain management and teach students how to approach solving complex international business problems. Local company visits, lectures from an impressive line-up of local faculty, and a chance to examine current issues in international accounting and operations management are only the tip of the iceberg.

The Hong Kong program is unique because it takes place in an historically rich and culturally diverse city where the East and the West have developed an intimate, long term relationship. It is a perfect destination for an introduction to Chinese history, culture, and business for students from the western world. In some places, Hong Kong is so full of foreigners that you would forget that you were in Asia. Yet, it is close enough to China to provide a bona fide “China experience.”

“Eating the local food, walking the crowded streets, surviving the packed subways, discussing in class, listening to lectures, visiting local companies, and building lasting relationships made this an invaluable experience.  And now, ‘“Made in China”’ has taken on a whole new meaning.”
--Ben Kwiatkowski, 2011 MPA Hong Kong student

“The advantage of taking CIBER courses abroad is that you receive a whole new level of understanding because you actually get to see what you are learning in class put into practice.  Also, you really get to know the McCombs professor that comes to Hong Kong and can always use them as a mentor during the program and throughout the rest of your college career.”
--Berkley Alwin, 2010 Hong Kong Supply Chain Management student

“As business students we are constantly reading about the rise of the Chinese economy: rapid economic growth, infrastructure development, the rise of the middle class, and the increase in effective government reforms. We also hear about the terrible factory conditions, rampant pollution, debilitating political corruption, and questionable business practices. China is a hot topic, no question about it, but all the information we are exposed to is second hand…I wanted to live it, feel it, breathe it, and make it my own. I chose to spend a semester studying in one of the top business programs in Hong Kong because it seemed like the best investment for my future.”
--Ben Kwiatkowski, 2011 MPA Hong Kong participant

For more information on Hong Kong, visit the CIBER Destinations.