Interview with Darden Dean Robert Bruner(5)

2007-02-06 13:06:20 Zongxing[ Big Normal Small ]

　　
　　Z: I just walked through the corridor of Darden school and saw the group pictures of class of 2008. So many Asia faces! What’s your impression of Chinese students?

　　B: We are absolutely delighted with the surge and interest from China and all over Asia. The statistics are confidential and I can’t share them with you right now. We are in the middle of a very sharp increase of the applications from Asia. The Chinese, specifically, are the hardest workers of any foreign group of students that I have seen. They work 7 days a week, work late in the night. They strive very hard to succeed.
　　 The Chinese will open up to them the unlimited possibilities. The big challenge for the Chinese students is to master English at a level sufficient that allow them to debate actively. Our classroom approach is not a lecture style classroom; it is a discussion-based approach. So we have a very high standard of language mastery. Good GMAT scores and GPA are only a part. Secondly, I would like to encourage Chinese students to open themselves up to the cultural diversity of the world, which is very risk-seeking, very entrepreneurial. In the United States, we have more casual attitudes towards authority. Americans will often say quite candid things. In the classroom, these words might be very embarrassing to the Asian students, to encourage them to grow. We know that culturally, Asian is very respectful. We offer a pre-registration experience for International students in our program to help them understand how mastering the cultural difference can build professional strength.

　　Z: Anything else you would like to add?

　　B: I think the economic transformation in China is absolutely astonishing. What happens in China today is a once-in-a-life opportunity. I encourage everyone, Chinese, Asia, as well as the American, encourage them all to grow closely to China. At the same time, I encourage the Chinese to grasp the possibility with the rest of the world. It will create a much more stable world. That encourages me everyday. We are creating a better world for the future by better medical care, better products and services. This gets me up everyday. It’s one of the most exciting moments in history.

　　Z: Your words reminded me of another saying “Two countries both having McDonald’s will never fight with each other. ”

　　B: (a hearty laugh). Let’s hope that’s true. I think great trading partners develop a keen understanding of each other and greater tolerance. From that tolerance, I believe we will see better diplomatic relations.

　　Z: Dean Bruner, thanks so much for taking my interview!

　　B: It’s my great pleasure!

　　About Dean Bruner,
　　Robert F. Bruner, the dean of the University of Virginia Darden School of Business, is an internationally recognized mergers and acquisitions expert. Bruner was named as one of BusinessWeek magazines Masters of the MBA Classroom. A member of the University faculty since 1982, Bruner served as executive director of The Batten Institute, an endowed foundation within the Darden School that focuses on entrepreneurship, innovation, and corporate growth, from 2000 to 2004.
　　His areas of teaching, research, and writing include corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, investing in emerging markets, innovation and technology transfer.
　　Bruner is the author of 16 books, most recently, Deals from Hell: M&A Lessons That Rise Above the Ashes. Since its publication this past spring, Bruner has been responding to numerous media queries regarding the M&A activity that has been taking place over the past year.
　　Bruner, 56, earned a B.A. from Yale University in 1971. He earned an MBA from Harvard University in 1974 and a Doctorate in Business Administration from Harvard in 1982. He is married and has two children.