Summer Travel Study
International & Area Studies: Business Leadership and Communication
This highly interactive and engaging travel study program is set in vibrant Hong Kong, one of the two Special Administrative Regions of the People’s Republic of China. As one of the world’s leading financial and trade centers, Hong Kong represents an ideal place for you to embark upon this program’s two core content areas – business communications and business leadership. While in Hong Kong, you will experience global business first-hand as you meet local business leaders, visit key cultural and business sights, learn from professors with extensive regional knowledge, and immerse yourself in the economic giant of Hong Kong.
Business communications is often cited as a critical component in both getting a job and rising to leadership positions. For example, Warren Buffet, head of Berkshire Hathaway (one of the largest public companies in the world), offers advice on gaining business communication skills. He says, “If you improve your communication skills, I guarantee you that you will earn fifty percent more money over your lifetime.” While we cannot guarantee you riches, Business Communications will train you in several core communication competencies including business presenting, argument building, and visual and verbal persuasion.
Similarly, business leadership is another major competency sought in potential employees. Business Leadership will help prepare you to meet the challenges of a rapidly interconnected world, and provide you with the concepts and skills to progress and grow as a future global business leader. We will look closely at what it means to lead in Hong Kong, and examine successful business leaders in Hong Kong, throughout Asia, and around the world. You will learn about why people behave as they do in organizations across cultures, learn about ethics and ways to deal with corruption, and gain a deeper understanding of the unique challenges of leading in one of the most important economic regions of the world.
Curriculum
Your professor and “curriculum guide,” Dr. Robert M. (Bob) McCann, is a faculty member at UCLA Anderson School of Management. Prior to his return to the USA, Professor McCann lived in Asia for nearly 20 years, many of these years spent in private industry in marketing communication for Diageo PLC (Johnnie Walker brand), international banking, and consulting.
Program Courses
All students will enroll in two required courses while attending the program:
- I A STD 110A (4 units)
- I A STD 110B (4 units)
*Courses approved for Global Studies Majors (Travel Study requirement) and Global Studies Minors (2 upper division electives).
Course Descriptions
I A STD 110A: Strategic Business Communication (4 units)
Prerequisites: None
The purpose of this course is to improve your management communication skills in various business contexts. We will examine the attributes of successful communication – how to make effective presentations, how to be aware of and plan the impression that you make as a presenter, delivery strategies and techniques, visual and verbal persuasion principles, how to build a logical argument with supporting evidence, the art of “business storytelling,” how to communicate and persuade in business contexts across cultures (with an emphasis on Hong Kong culture), and other related topics.
*This course also satisfies requirements for the Communication Studies major at UCLA.
I A STD 110B: Business Leadership: Global Perspectives (4 units)
Prerequisites: None
This course takes a global view on what is required to lead organizations in diverse settings. This is especially important as today’s business world is a global community. Business Leadership will help you develop your global leadership abilities, as well as better understand the dynamics of organizational environments and systems as they impact global leadership progression and growth. As such, the course will prepare you to develop as a future global business leader. Considerable focus will be placed on Asian (and specifically Chinese) models of business leadership. Multiple delivery methods will be utilized throughout the course such as lectures, discussion sessions, case analysis, self-assessments (where we assess your own global leadership profile), video analysis, and guest speakers.
** I A STD 110A & 110B have been approved for the International Politics and Markets category and/or Capstone seminar requirement for the following majors: African & Middle Eastern Studies, Asian Studies, European Studies, and Latin American Studies.
Optional Course
I A Std 199: Directed Research (4 units; requires instructor consent)
Students also have the option of enrolling in an optional 199 course, allowing them to do an additional assignment on a topic related to the travel study program. Instructor consent is required to register, so be sure to obtain your instructor’s approval on the subject and format. There is an additional fee for this optional course.
Students can enroll in optional courses by submitting the Optional Course Registration Form, as well as proof of instructor consent, to info@ieo.ucla.edu. You can enroll up until the Friday of the second week of your program.
Budget and Financial Aid
| Budget | UC Undergrads | UC Grad Students | Visiting Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| Program Fee | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| Textbooks (estimate) | $150 | $150 | $150 |
| Airfare (estimate) | $1900 | $1900 | $1900 |
| Meals (estimate) | $900 | $900 | $900 |
| Spending Money (estimate) | $500 | $500 | $500 |
Program fee includes registration and course fees, accommodations, program excursions and health insurance.
Airfare, textbooks, optional courses, other meals and optional excursions are additional.
Fees are subject to change by action of the UC Regents.
Document Fee
Non-UCLA students will be charged a $50 Document Fee. This is a one-time document fee which covers fees for first-class mailing of official transcripts, diploma and much more. Please visit the Registrar’s Office Website for more information. Matriculated UCLA Students: Please visit the Registrar’s Office Website for document fee information.
IEI Fee
All undergraduate students will be charged a $61 IEI fee per summer. The IEI (Instructional Enhancement Initiative) fee is a course materials fee that is charged in order to support the use of technology in undergraduate education at UCLA. For more information please click here.
Budgeting
We recommend that you budget accordingly to cover optional sightseeing, laundry, Internet cafes, emergencies, etc. How much to budget depends on your travel, entertainment, and souvenir choices. It is always best to overestimate your spending. Take the time to research the cost of living in your destination and the activities you want to participate in while abroad.
Purchasing Airfare
Please do not purchase airfare until instructed to do so by your Travel Study Program Coordinator.
Financial Aid
Financial aid for Travel Study programs is available to qualified UCLA students. All other students should inquire about financial aid at their home institution. For details about the financial aid application process, please visit the Financial Aid section of this website.
On Location
Accommodations
Students will reside in dormitory housing at the University of Hong Kong and will be taking classes at HKU. All housing is double occupancy.
UCLA Travel Study reserves the right to change housing location. Should this be necessary, we will arrange comparable accommodations elsewhere.
Meals
No meals are included, however, there are numerous eateries and markets nearby.
If you have strict dietary requirements, this program may not be able to accommodate your needs. Please let us know when you apply for this program if you have any special dietary needs as well as any physical or medical conditions. We will advise you accordingly.
Excursions
This program includes several excursions as part of its curriculum. Potential excursions include a tour of Hong Kong, excursions to Lantau Island and Victoria Peak. This list is subject to change, and a full schedule of excursions will be available at a later date.
Free time is built into this program for independent sightseeing. If you plan on traveling extensively, we recommend that you budget additional spending money.
2018 Program Correspondent