STUDENT REPORT
Renimin Business School (RBS)
Fall 2012
Exchange Student Report
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
I.
The school and its surroundings
Renmin University of China is located in the North-West part of Beijing, in the Haidian
District. The campus is quite big with restaurants, cafeterias and activity possibilities,
such as basketball, tennis, swimming and training rooms. It is easy to access the
campus area, as there are one subway stop in each part of the campus (West gate
and East gate). It takes around 20 minutes to cross the campus. The RBS is located
at the west gate, and are close to the subway station Suzhoujie on line 10. The west
gate is close to Renmin University station on line 4.
II.
Current faculty divisions, special areas and students
As business students, we belong to Renmin Business School (RBS). The university
covers many study areas, but the Business School and Law School are the main
focus areas. All exchange students on master level took courses the IMBA program
here at Renmin Business School. Most of the IMBA students are Chinese. We were
approximately 20 exchange students, and 30 Chinese students. The classes were
often 50/50 between exchange students and IMBA students.
III.
Study structure
Semester lasts from the beginning of September to mid January. However, unlike at
BI, the semester is divided in two parts. Some courses (6 credit courses) are held
over the whole semester, while other courses (2 or 4 credit courses) are more
intensive. Each course usually have one lecture per week, lasting for 3,5 hours.
Some of the intensive courses were finished in November, where some where
finished at the end of December. However, classes can be held to the beginning of
January.
The courses consist of many different evaluation methods. We have had individual
presentations, group presentations, case analyses, individual papers, group papers,
final exams, etc. In addition, almost all courses have participation and attendance
requirements.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Information before you leave
We received a several emails from the International Office at Renmin Business School before
we arrived in the beginning of May. We also received an information packed regarding the
application process, selection of courses etc. It is also required that you register online,
however this is in Chinese so follow the instruction that follows carefully. Also have a picture
of yourself available the computer you use as this also has to be submitted. The exchange
coordinator at RBS is also helpful, answering mails if there is any questions or problems.
Visa Procedure and travel experiences
Before going to China you have to apply for a visa at the Chinese Embassy (consulatum). for
more information about location and requirements for Visa-application can be found at the
embassy home page (http://no.china-embassy.org/). Apply for a F- visa (if only here for 1
semester) and single entry as you can change this to unlimited entries at the school in the
beginning of the semester. It takes one until two weeks to get the visa and cost 500 kr.
You also need a resident permit, which the student resident provide for you. If you live off
campus the landlord where you rent will help you. You should also bring your insurance card
from Norway as the foreign student insurance card (FSI) that you can buy when arriving to
school is about 400 kr, and the coverage is not that good.
We booked our plane tickets early, and chose a two-way ticked. This is not necessarily the
best, as it is quite difficult to predict when you can travel home, as exams/lectures etc. often
changes during the semester.
Exchange Student Report
Academic Calendar
The semester starts in the beginning of/-mid September and generally lasts until Chinese new
year in late January/beginning of February. It is important that you are there at the registration
day the first week of September. The exam period depends on the courses you choose. The
intensive courses often have exams during the semester, while others have exams at the end
of December/beginning of January. Often the exams are individual written papers and are
handed in either personally or by mail.
In the beginning of October the Chinese celebrate Mooncake Festival, which implies one
week with no lectures and where it is possible to travel. However you might expect some
home-assignments during this period.
Reception / International Office
There is no formal reception, but the student exchange office at the 7th floor of the RBS
building is especially for the exchange student if needed. They are not always that helpful,
and they often do not know the answer to the question. Be prepared to be guided around to
different offices to get help or just a plain no.
Important information will be provided to you by email, or you can visit the student exchange
office between 09.00 - 17.00. However, the Chinese have lunch between 12.00 and 14.00
where all offices are closed, so try to avoid these hours.
Housing
Renmin University provides housing for all exchange students, which you can apply for before
coming to China. We recommend that you live at campus, but then apply for single room at
the Korean student house. It is a bit more expensive than the others (around 2500 RMB per
month) however it is a quite new buildings and the rooms are like small hotel rooms and very
comfortable. The other housings are not recommended as we have heard by other students
that have lived their (and then moved) that is was not very comfortable. Chinese often live up
to 4-6 people in each rooms, this is not recommended for exchange students, as the rooms
are quite small, with shared floor bathrooms and only have shower in other buildings.
We did not apply for student housing, and as we came to Beijing in the beginning of
September it was difficult to find an apartment to a decent price. Also, renting for only 4-5
months proved difficult, where the landlord and the agents as for huge renting prices, plus an
agency fee. We ended up staying at a service apartment at Zhichunlu (two stops from RBS
with line 10, and one stop from Wudaokou - a popular student area). The service apartments
were quite expensive, as we had to rent one apartment each. Housing expenses are quite
high in Beijing, and can hence be more costly than first planned, so we recommend that you
arrive early to get an apartment or that you live at campus.
Costs
You should consider approximately a 100 RMB a day. Beijing is quite cheap, especially
eating out (from 10-50 RMB), the subway (2 RMB per trip), taxi (starting price at 10 RMB) and
drinks. This makes is very easy to be social, meet out for dinner, and travel.
Exchange promotion
As we are attending International MBA we often talked about our countries, nationality and
culture in class, and shared experience as part of the discussion in class. This is quite
interesting as you get to understand many cultures and why of thinking better, and not just
Chinese culture.
Social Activities
As the classes are quite small, where most have applied for the same courses, we therefore
really got to know the people in class. The easiest way to get in touch with foreign exchange
students is perhaps to live at campus, however it is always what you make out of it yourself.
There are also arranged social get together for Chinese and foreign students to meet up.
Exchange Student Report
However, be prepared that the exchange students are not always included in the social
events, and the exchange students therefore usually arranged their own. Some Chinese
students could be somewhat intense, however they just want to get to know you and your
culture and are very interested in talking to you.
Culture and Language
The average English skills are not that good, however most Chinese students in class talked
English quite well, but be prepared that it is not always that easy to understand them. Many
Chinese wants to improve their language skills and often talk to you just to get the chance to
learn more and to get the chance to practice their English. You can also visit the "English
corner" at campus where you will be the most popular person in the group, as Chinese come
here to talk to foreigners.
People outside RBS do not talk much English, and sign language gets you far. However, do
not expect taxi drivers to be very helpful. As most of them do not talk English they will not
always stop for you. Remember to always bring a card or an address in Chinese of where you
are going for the taxi drivers, as this makes the language barriers much easier. The subway is
very good and easy to follow, as all information is given in English, and is usually the best
transportation option due to heavy traffic and huge distances.
Cultural and Social Effects from the Exchange Experience
Being in Beijing really opens the opportunity to experience China and the Chinese culture,
and you quickly have to adapt to the Chinese way- with the slogan; "When in China do as the
Chinese does". It can however be challenging and requires a lot of patience, however this is
something you quickly adopt to and after a while sees as daily life experiences.
III ACADEMIC INFORMATION
The Teaching situation
Almost all our teachers was from North- America and was easy to follow both in language and
in teaching ways. However, some of the Chinese teachers can be hard to fallow, as they have
a different teaching style. The syllabus can also change during the semester. Most of the
lectures are based on power point, student presentation and case studies. Participation and
discussion is also part of your grading, but is a quite interesting part of the class as there are
many different nationalities with different perspectives. The workload is not that heavy as at
BI and the requirements are often more practical and task oriented. However, we experienced
that the workload is heavier in some periods than in others. It obviously depends a lot on the
professor teaching the specific course.
Furthermore, as you are exchange students, you do not always get the same information and
school funding as the student taking the IMBA course. They pay quite a lot for the IMBA
program, and are often prioritized first.
Required Literature
There is not that much required literature and often considering of cases and PPT from the
teacher. The required literature, such as books and needed papers was often printed and
handed out by the class representative, for which you pay a small amount. The lecture notes
you have to print out yourself, however there are many printer shops on campus and are
really cheap. For the exam we usually only focused on lecture notes from the teachers, and
be prepared in class as quizzes can be handed out.
Exams
We only had a couple of written school exams. The final exam usually consisted of a final
individual paper. There are however a few quizzes during the semester and some multiplechoice exams at the end of the course. The grades are usually divided between attendance,
participation, group work, presentation, quizzes and final papers.
Other
Exchange Student Report
Bring your own computer to class as this is usually needed in group work and presentations.
We did not use the library, but worked at home. For group work meetings we often used cafes
or the classrooms as there few group rooms available at school.
The University also requires that you open a bank account to access internet, as money are
transferred to the student card by using your bank card. Ask someone at campus for help
regarding filling your Internet card, as everything is in Chinese.
Last, but not least, we must say that we had a great semester in Beijing. The cultural
differences can be a bit overwhelming sometimes, but the experience of living one semester
in Beijing as been great. If you want to experience something different – apply for Beijing!
Description of Courses
Example:
Course name:
Data modeling
and decision making
Prereq.
Exam
BI Approved as
None
Written Group Assignment
Elective
Leadership
None
Written exam/Written Ind. Assignm.
Elective
Financial Management
None
Written Exam/Group Assignment
Elective
Entrepreneurship
None
Individual/Group Assignment
Elective
Compensation
None
Individual Assignment/ presentation
Elective
Business Ethics
None
Written/Group Assignment
Elective
Written/Group Assignment
Elective
Supply Chain Management
and Customer Relationship
None
Cross-culture Management None
Presentation/Group Assignment
…………………………………………………………………………………………..
Elective
Do not hesitate to contact us through international office if you have any questions regarding
your exchange.