ByteDance in Beijing on My Business Journey Through China

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The email subject line simply read “Doing Business in China," but its timing and promise felt serendipitous. I was preparing to graduate from the Sacramento Part-Time MBA program and already thinking about life beyond the classroom.

The opportunity? Doing Business in China (DBIC): a two-week global immersion in Beijing, Xi’an and Shanghai, offered by the Guanghua School of Management at Peking University.

The summer immersion brings together students from around the world to explore China’s evolving economy.

The program focuses on economic transformation, innovation and entrepreneurship, with opportunities to visit leading companies, engage with business leaders, experience Chinese culture firsthand and forge lasting cross-cultural connections.

Flying Solo Into Global Business

It wasn’t just the international travel that caught my attention—it was personal. My husband, Ming Chen MBA 19, was born and raised in China. I saw this program as a way to gain a deeper understanding of the business landscape that shaped him. I also wanted to better support his aspirations and experience China through my lens.

I’ve always had a passion for travel, with stamps from Japan, England and Norway in my passport. But this trip would be different. For the first time, I would fly over 13 hours, solo, to a country I’d never visited.

I was excited and a little nervous.

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Finding Support Far From Home

June came fast. After final projects, exams, and the exhilaration of walking across the graduation stage on a Friday, I boarded a flight bound for Beijing the next day. My husband had helped me prepare, making sure my WeChat app was connected to my credit card—an essential in a country where digital payments are the rule.

Things didn’t go as planned. At the airport in Beijing, I jumped into a taxi, confident I could pay with WeChat. But when the app failed, and my bank cards were rejected at the ATM, panic set in. I called Poppy Liu, the DBIC program manager, who I’d only corresponded with by email. She calmly spoke to the driver and covered the fare—an act of kindness I repaid once my payment issues were resolved. It was a rough landing, but just the beginning of an incredible experience.

The next day, I met the people who would become my community. We were a global group, representing Melbourne, London, Hong Kong and Chicago, and we bonded instantly.

Our first team challenge was a photo scavenger hunt at Peking University, followed by a lively presentation comparing Kentucky Fried Chicken’s business strategy in China versus the U.S.

Behind the Scenes at ByteDance and Veralto

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The real magic of the program happened beyond the classroom. We visited five companies across industries and cities, from ByteDance (the parent company of TikTok) to Saturnbird Coffee, a startup reimagining instant coffee for a new generation of Chinese consumers. I was especially inspired by Saturnbird’s sustainability efforts—something I could see resonating in eco-conscious California.

We also toured TAL, a Chinese edtech innovator, Hongsun International, a logistics firm bridging international entrepreneurs with Chinese manufacturers, and Veralto, a U.S. conglomerate focused on water purification and printing technologies.

Along the way, we also learned about kaizen, a business philosophy focused on making small, incremental changes to processes and systems to achieve significant long-term benefits. 

At each stop, I saw global business concepts come alive in ways textbooks never captured.

Forging Global Ties Through UC Davis

Despite starting this journey alone, I didn’t remain that way for long. Between cultural tours, scorching afternoons at the Forbidden City and feasts fit for emperors, we forged friendships that crossed borders and time zones. I returned with unforgettable memories, fresh business insights and a stronger connection to a part of the world that now feels much closer.

If you're thinking about a global business experience that challenges, inspires and connects you to something bigger—take the leap. The Doing Business in China program gave me more than international exposure. It gave me confidence, clarity and a global network I never expected.

Are you ready to take your business education across borders? Explore the global immersion opportunities at UC Davis Graduate School of Management.