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This fall, the UCI Paul Merage School of Business adventured to Korea and China to connect with future anteaters on a personal level. 

It was the first overseas trip for the Specialty Masters Program at the Merage School—advancing the School’s mission for global diversity. Jana Cheng, from the Master of Professional Accountancy (MPAc) program, emphasized the importance of international outreach.

 “Our programs strive to be globally diverse, and that’s one of the reasons we went on our first ever Specialty Masters international trip. We wanted to expand our outreach and strengthen our relationships with different countries across the globe,” said Cheng.

Kristen Ahn, representing the Master of Finance (MFin) and Master of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (MIE) programs, also explained that the goal of the trip was to forge meaningful individual connections with potential students.  

“We focused on talking to undergrads and letting them know that if you are a talented student—we want you at the Merage School and we will come meet you.”

“We accomplished our purpose,” Cheng explained. “We established great connections at top Korean schools like Seoul National University and Yonsei University.”

In China, the specialty masters team visited six cities, connected with 12 universities, and met over 1,000 students. The goal was to seek out talented students interested in a digitally driven curriculum in one of the largest economies in the world.

“We are traveling the world to find exceptional talent,” said Burt Slusher, director of recruitment and admissions for the specialty masters program. “Students from more than 30 countries apply to our programs. One of those countries is China and we wanted to meet them face-to-face and traveled to multiple regions to connect with people.”

The journey was also important because it helped the School learn how to better serve students. 

Bryan Muñoz, from the Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) program explained, “Our presence was mostly to build relationships with universities in China, meet students, get to know the culture and get to know how things work so we can better serve that population.” 

In addition, each trip featured an alumni dinner where Merage School staff was able to reunite with past students. 

Cheng said, “During the alumni dinner, you had so many different people represented in that group. You had someone that had graduated from the Merage school back in the 80’s, and some that graduated just two or three years ago. They developed a community abroad and it’s rewarding to see a Merage School network across the globe.” 

Slusher felt as though his own journey through China was synonymous with the long journey that many of his students must make to attend the UCI Paul Merage School of Business; this solidified the importance of the trip for him. 

He said, “It was thousands of miles of traveling within the country once we were there. But I think it was important for us to get that feel because these students are making that trip themselves. They’re taking a big journey to come to the Merage School, be here for a year or more and to invest their time in our programs. It is important for us as a team to travel, show that we are seeking talented individuals, and hear what they’re looking for in a program.” 

The team returned home with a new appreciation for in-person relationships as a recruitment strategy.

Muñoz explained, “Relationships are hugely important in China. Making sure you have a good relationship with people and understanding who they are and where they’re coming from goes a long way.”