Kelley School undergrads take on an 'emerging market'
7,508 miles -- That is the distance that a small group of undergraduate students from IU Bloomington's Kelley School of Business travelled in their trek from Chicago to New Delhi this summer. The students' journey placed them in a country sodifferent from theirs that it changed the very lens through which they now see the world. They learned many of the customs of Indian culture and developed further knowledge of this "emerging market." As one of the students said, this was no small task.
Each essay below presents readers with a different outlook on the Indian experience by three of those undergrads: Sae Yoon, Ally Gibler and Danny Mapes. To read more perspectives, go to this Kelley School wiki: http://p255.pbworks.com/Summary-of-the-trip-to-India.
Meeting Harry Potter
By Sae A Yoon
Hometown: Seoul, South Korea
Having lived in both Korea and America, I usually think of myself as culturally diverse. A recent trip to India, however, opened up a whole new door on the world to me.
Like most others who travel to India, I was amazed by the Taj Mahal -- it is much more indescribably astonishing than it seems in pictures -- as well as the driving skills of our bus driver and poverty that was more observable than I ever expected.
Sae A Yoon
During our class trip organized by Indiana University's Kelley School of Business, we toured one of India's largest car factories, met with the nation's minister of commerce and saw the commercial growth of Bangalore first-hand.
But if I pick one story to tell, though, it would be my visit to the St. Mary's Orphanage in Bangalore. Unlike other orphanages I have visited, it provides children not only with beds and food, but also with dreams and smiles.
The orphanage started the Jude Felix Hockey Academy, hoping to give those underprivileged children a way to join society and to be a part of it through the hockey skills it teaches.
In India, usually an orphan has little hope of attaining a normal life -- even a child of an average Indian family has a hard time receiving an adequate education due to economic difficulty.
The field hockey training, however, gives the orphans an opportunity to raise their socio-economic status. About 50 kids are on a team with 10 coaches who used to be professional players, who gladly volunteer their time and energies. Among those 50 angels, I found one named Harry Peter, whose nickname is Harry Potter.
When I stood next to Harry, he barely reached my waist and did not seem to weigh even 70 pounds. He looked like an average five- or six-year-old American kid, so I asked if he were seven, which is the youngest age allowed in the team. He told me no, so I asked him again if he were eight. He then said he was 15.
Fifteen!
When I was 15, I was one of the smallest students in my class, but probably was several inches taller and weighed at least 20 pounds more than him. The coach said they do not know what happened to him but because of a mental shock, he stopped growing.
It was hard enough to imagine how horrible his life has been that his body stopped growing at the age when a child grows the most. I just held him tight on my lap and cried.
Then one of my friends said, "Sae A, you just made his day! He has a big smile on his face!" If I could make him smile, I wanted to hold him like that for hours. For that moment, by being who I am, I was able to give him support.
On the way back to the hotel, a friend said, "Many people go to different organizations like this and feel bad about the hardship that these children go through but after the visit people forget about those kids."
What he said struck me hard. When I returned to the hotel that night, I decided to give Harry my support as much as I can, and continuously, so that I will not forget about him. Now, back at IU, I am working on details about how I can give financial help and regularly communicate with him, hoping that more IU students will be able to provide similar support to other boys on the team.
Obviously, the trip made me humble and changed my perspective about the world. It was meaningful because I better understand another emerging economy like Korea, and I developed stronger relationships with my peers here that will help me succeed as a business student.
While others brought home souvenirs, I returned with the most precious gift, a friendship with a future field hockey star, Harry.
'A cultural epiphany'
By Danny Mapes
Hometown: Fairway, Kansas
As we walked down the hallway of an Indian business process outsourcing company, I watched as the new hires were being trained in the various inflections of the English language.
I was touring a company in Bangalore which was teaching a diverse room full of Indians from all across the country --a group which could account for dozens of regional dialects -- who, after training, would perform services for companies all across the globe.
Danny Mapes
As I thought about how much of the world was intersecting in that simple room, I realized how interconnected the world has become.
This cultural epiphany was made possible through an invaluable program offered to me by my school, the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. My recent trip to Delhi, Bangalore and Agra came at the conclusion of an exhaustive eight-week study of India's socio-political landscape, historical paradigm and its emerging economic structure.
The course was taught by a native of India who brought much personal experience to the open classroom discussions. Additionally, each week guest speakers ranging from political science Ph.D.s to Harvard Law School graduates to the school's dean would highlight crucial components of the new, ever-so-connected world. But despite all of the robust classroom preparation, nothing compared to seeing everything myself.
Just days after arriving in Delhi, our 27-person group was able to sit down for a roundtable discussion with India's minister of commerce -- Anand Sharma. I couldn't help but feel fortunate. I was discussing breaking news and global economic strategy with one of India's most notable economic decision makers.
Additionally, our group was able to learn about the Indian economy and its society in many other ways. Through various company luncheons, dinners, presentations and tours, we were able to learn about topics ranging from the burgeoning automotive industry to the information technology revolution to global cost cutting strategies and labor arbitrage.
We were given access to Parliament as well as access to upper-level management of companies such as Infosys, Maruti-Suzuki and Target Corp. Additionally, we learned of innovative methods to halt social obstacles through on-site tours and conversations with various non-governmental organizations.
But most poignantly, we learned how, despite the desperation and poverty that exists in urban areas and orphanages, overwhelming happiness is ubiquitous in India.
I suspect my experiences will leave a lasting impact on my future career as a businessman. My new first-hand knowledge of global issues and customs will give me a better understanding of assumptions that could silently be brought to the negotiating table one day.
I have come to better understand the unique ethical principles that exist inIndia—principles which ultimately guide decision-making. Furthermore, this program will continue to shape my experiences as a student
While the world has become increasingly interconnected, I'm thankful for these experiences, resources and opportunities to succeed in this new, global environment.
A perspective enlarged in a 'flat world'
By Ally Gibler
Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio
Cows on the street, beggars constantly at my feet, relentless honking horns allowing me no sleep and a chaotic lifestyle that was bound to leave me beat.
Ally Gibler
As I boarded the final plane from Brussels to Delhi in much anticipation while questioning my motives, these were the visions flashing through my head. These were also the same visions that proved to be very true from the time I landed in Delhi to the time I departed Bangalore 10 days later.
However, the lessons I learned were invaluable while traveling to several parts of India, including Delhi, Agra, Bangalore and Mysore, with 26 fellow peers and six faculty members from Indiana University's Kelley School of Business as a part of an eight-week course, "Business in a Flat World."
I learned that the seemingly chaotic and unorganized ways of Indian life that I had envisioned are actually rather orderly and organized.
I was able to learn three important lessons on happiness, judgment and business that I will take with me for the rest of my life. After traveling to India, I know that I will no longer view the world in the same light as I have learned the importance of looking at situations from multiple angles.
And I have become fully aware that happiness does not come from the materialistic items that our society is so obsessed with. This became clear at our time spent at the Felix Foundation in Bangalore.
The Felix Foundation was founded by Jude Felix to benefit children who are currently living in an orphanage by providing them with opportunities and education that they would not be receiving otherwise.
Interestingly, the Felix Foundation gives children hope and happiness through playing field hockey and teaching them invaluable life lessons. The children live very basic lives with little to no possessions, but I will never forget the happiness and joy that was shown in the children's faces the day we visited them.
Furthermore, I learned not to judge others and to accept not only individual people but also cultures at large for their definition of "normalcy."
It may look funny for us to see monkeys running up trees instead of squirrels, and it may be strange seeing cows on the side of the road instead of deer. However, I have to view the situation in a different light and realize that our squirrels and deer look just as funny to them.
Driving on the highway in India -- whether it was on our bus ride from Delhi to Agra or Bangalore to Mysore -- was absolutely fascinating. More so than the fact that they drive on the left side of the road as opposed to the right side, absolutely zero traffic laws were obeyed. There was no concept of staying in one's lane or keeping a safe distance from the car in front of you.
However, their way of driving appears to work just fine for them.
Would it be okay to drive the same in Cincinnati as one would in Delhi? Absolutely not, but and the same goes the other way for someone driving in Delhi. It is all about perspective and the way in which you view the world.
Finally, I was able to further realize and understand my passion for pursuing a career in business. Although I have always planned on majoring within some field of business, I have never been as motivated to do so as I was after being in India. After visiting and interacting with several employees at Target, IIMB, 24/7, Maruti-Sazuki and Infosys, I was inspired to continue with business.
It is one thing to read about it, but to experience business in India first hand is an incredible opportunity that I am so grateful to have had.
After traveling to India, my preconceived visions of India did not change. In fact, they remained very much intact. What did change dramatically, however, is the way that I viewed these visions. By being fully immersed in the culture of India and experiencing its definition of "normalcy," the visions in my head began to make perfect sense. Even more so, I was given new perspectives on life, happiness, judging others and international business.
