Stanford and Tsinghua Students Collaborate in SCPKU Summer Seminar: China's Largest Corporations
In August, SCPKU hosted Professor Andrew Walder's Summer Seminar course, "China's Largest Corporations: A Case Study Workshop," a dynamic program bringing together nine students from Stanford University and nine students from Tsinghua University. The workshop focused on in-depth analysis of China’s leading corporations, providing an unparalleled opportunity for students to explore corporate structures, business models, and international growth prospects in China’s dynamic economic landscape.
The program began with lectures and group discussions on the complexities of China’s corporate environment. The highlight of the workshop was a field trip to Qingdao, where students had the unique opportunity to interact directly with executives and managers from some of China’s most influential companies.
During the Qingdao trip, the nine Stanford students visited several major corporations, including Hisense, Haier, Tsingtao Brewery, and Shandong Port Group. These site visits offered students a chance to see the inner workings of global businesses with deep roots in China’s industrial and consumer markets. Each visit featured a sit-down discussion where students engaged with company executives and posed insightful questions. Among the topics discussed were the companies’ key export products, their strategies for maintaining export growth, and the primary international markets they target. Students explored how these companies balance domestic and international revenues, as well as their experiences with overseas investments and subsidiaries.
At Hisense, students learned about the company’s strategies for maintaining competitiveness in the dynamic global electronics market. The discussion at Haier centered on smart home innovations and how the company has successfully expanded its brand internationally through overseas subsidiaries. During the Tsingtao Brewery visit, students delved into the company’s long history and success in both domestic and international beer markets. They explored Tsingtao’s strategies for maintaining brand recognition abroad and how it positions itself in diverse cultural contexts. The visit to Shandong Port Group offered insights into the challenges of managing global trade infrastructure and logistics, providing a fascinating look at China’s growing role in international commerce.
In addition to the business analysis, students were particularly interested in how these corporations finance their overseas investments. Discussions explored various methods, including bank loans, retained earnings, and the use of international capital markets. Students also learned about the companies' plans for future global expansion, the challenges they face in extending their international operations, and the biggest successes they have achieved in global markets to date.
Students from Stanford and Tsinghua brought diverse perspectives to site visits and group discussions, creating a unique environment for intellectual and cultural exchange. The China’s Largest Corporations seminar embodied SCPKU's commitment to immersive learning experiences that prepare students to engage with the complexities of the global business environment. Through the combination of theoretical analysis and practical, real-world engagement, this workshop provided students with the tools to understand the challenges and opportunities faced by China’s largest corporations as their influence and global scope continue to expand.
*Faculty interested in leading a Summer Seminar in August 2025 may submit a proposal here.
Student applications for 2025 Summer Seminars will open in February on Stanford SOLO.
Stanford Sociology Professor Andrew Walder led nine Stanford students on a three-week course exploring the structure and global significance of Chinese corporations.
Hau L. Lee is the Thoma Professor of Operations, Information and Technology at the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University. He was the founding faculty director of the Stanford Institute for Innovation in Developing Economies (SEED), and is the current Co-Director of the Stanford Value Chain Innovations Initiative. Professor Lee’s expertise is on global supply chain management and value chain innovations. He has published widely in top journals on supply chain management. He was inducted to the US National Academy of Engineering, and elected a Fellow of MSOM, POMS; and INFORMS. He was the previous Editor-in-Chief of Management Science. In 2006-7, he was the President of the Production and Operations Management Society. His article, “The Triple-A Supply Chain,” was the Second Place Winner of the McKinsey Award for the Best Paper in 2004 in the Harvard Business Review. In 2004, his co-authored paper in 1997, “Information Distortion in a Supply Chain: The Bullwhip Effect,” was voted as one of the ten most influential papers in the history of Management Science. His co-authored paper, “The Impact of Logistics Performance on Trade,” won the Wickham Skinner Best Paper Award by the Production and Operations Management Society in 2014. In 2003, he received the Harold Lardner Prize for International Distinction in Operations Research, Canadian Operations Research Society. Professor Lee obtained his 
Shiqi Wang
Xiang Wang
Zhiqiang (ZZ) Zhang
Jean C. Oi
Christopher Thomas
