New Cultures, New Connections: International Exchange at UC Davis

What can you gain from studying business in another country? 

For four international exchange students at the UC Davis Graduate School of Management, the experience offered opportunities to explore a new culture, strengthen their skills and connect with people from around the world.

Coming from China, Finland and Germany, each student brought a different perspective. 

Yan Li and Oskar Seibel emphasized broadening their horizons through cultural experiences and conversations. 

Kate Doremidova described discovering a campus atmosphere she had previously seen only in movies. 

For Juho Arvio, who studies industrial engineering and management, the exchange was an opportunity to develop management and language skills while becoming more open in his interactions.

In the video, they share what drew them to international exchange and what made their UC Davis experience meaningful.

Video Transcript

Yan Li - Bejing, China
I think an international exchange program is very important to help you broaden your horizons and get to know more about the culture, which is definitely a great experience for all students.

Kate Doremidova - Helsinki, Finland
UC Davis has amazing and extensive facilities and infrastructure. I find the whole university culture quite amazing — something that I’ve never experienced before, maybe only watched in the movies. So it’s quite lovely to experience it firsthand.

Oskar Seibel - Wuppertal, Germany
I wanted to do it because, during an exchange program, you get to see a different culture, see different parts of the world and engage with people from all places around the world, which I think is the most important thing to widen your own horizons.

Juho Arvio - Helsinki, Finland
I find it interesting to develop my management skills, and I study industrial engineering and management. So it’s not strictly about the MBA program. It’s more about my personal skills, management and language skills, and being more open to talk with difficult people.