Three Webster Amigos in Chengdu
Picture: left to right, Wes Aehord, Greg Cameron and Stephen Davis. Three Webster Amigos in Chengdu, China
Immersion in China might not be for everyone, but Greg Cameron, Wes Aehord and Stephen Davis have been immersed for the past several years. Greg Cameron and Wes Aehord are just weeks away from graduating as MBA’s from the Webster/University of Electronics and Science and Technology China (UESTC) Joint Program. Stephen Davis has worked annually for the past three years in Chengdu working with his father, Webster Professor John Davis, at the Webster program at Chengdu. Stephen is traveling this week to Beijing to start a new program at Webster partner Beijing Language and Culture University. He applied and competed for a two year, MA scholarship in economics. The program will be entirely in English, but he’ll continue his Chinese language work on the side.
Greg started his own, personal China program with Beijing after the graduating from the University of Texas. He studied Chinese along the way in the U.S. and then Beijing, finding his way to the Webster Chengdu MBA Program. Greg worked for Webster for a semester, during his MBA, as liaison for the 13 Webster Global MBA (GMBA) students, who studied in Chengdu last year. Webster placed the Globals in the same apartment complex, where Greg lives, just a few blocks from the Webster/UESTC MBA Center. He was there 24-7 to help them with apartment maintenance problems, bus schedules, traveling needs, internet adjustments, and social arrangements. Near the end, the GMBA students named Greg “number 14”, that is the 14th GMBA student.
Wes followed the path of enlightenment and economic boom to find Chengdu. The veteran U.S. Marine started work in Chengdu with American companies, and decided to advance in business through the Webster MBA. He was recently hired by Mieneke Car Centers to work with the American company to start an auto maintenance, repair and parts center in China. The five million person city center is jammed with cars, and only 15 years ago, almost no one owned a car. Mieneke and Wes saw the need. After the MBA, he’ll continue to work on expansion plans and work for Mieneke.
Both Shanghai and Chengdu MBA programs accept international students from all over the world. However, tuition and living expenses in Chengdu are less, while the instructors are all international. But in addition, the countryside just outside of Chengdu is varied and naturally pleasing -- from jagged mountains, tropical hills and river valleys to the great plateau itself, the Chengdu.
