ICP Asia Testimonials
Full-time and evening students, representing different academic programs at Boston College, have offered testimonials on their ICP Asia experience.
- Sara Wirsul
- My experience with ICP Asia was one of the best experiences I had at Boston College! Not only did I travel to Beijing, China to see the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, enjoy the nightlife and experience every day life, but it was also an immensely positive learning experience. I enjoyed working with professional consultants at CCAFM, a boutique consulting firm in China. Together, my team from Boston College paired with consultants at CCAFM on a project which entailed analysis of non-performing loans in the United States and in Europe. Before this project I understood little about non-performing loans, let alone enough to advise clients on how to invest in them. I really liked learning about a topic that has such relevance to what’s happening in the financial markets right now. Semester long research culminated in an awesome presentation to CCAFM and their client!
And aside from a great assignment and sightseeing in China, I also enjoyed working with students from other graduate schools at Boston College. I met really cool people that I otherwise would not have. In what other class can you karaoke in suits, at lunch, in China, with colleagues from BC schools of law, business and social work?!
ICP Asia was a great opportunity to work on an interesting and current consulting project, learn how business is done in China, meet new people, see new sights, and celebrate Beijing-style at night.
- Meghan McCarthy
- This past January I had the opportunity to travel to Beijing with Professor Stoller, a number of students from the business school, social work school, and the law school. My experience in Beijing was unforgettable. Not only were we exposed to the Chinese culture and business world we were able to see unbelievable sites. I was overwhelmed by the kindness, professionalism and generosity of the Chinese who we were fortunate enough to work with.
While the main purpose of the trip was business, on one of our last days in Beijing, we were able to see many sites including the Great Wall. I was awe-struck by the Wall. It was freezing out the day we went but in retrospect that made our hike up the Wall that much more special because very few people braved the cold. Personally, I have never been so impressed with a man made structure.
The trip to Beijing was definitely the highlight of the class but the work that led up to the long plane ride across the Pacific was also fascinating. I had the opportunity to work alongside five other graduate students and a consultant from the Chinese firm that we were working for on a project concerning non-performing loans. As a law student, this project allowed me to see first hand how international business is done and also gave me a different type of classroom experience. I highly recommend this class to anyone who has an interest in working internationally and wants an adventure!
- Leela Assefi
- This is a detailed day-by-day blog written by one of our students about her 2009 experience, and provides some nice anecdotes on the Field Study portion of the course.
- Samir Jaluria
- The ICP Asia class was, without a doubt, one of the highlights of my MBA career at Boston College. The course not only allowed me to gain actual experience working with a Chinese firm, but also provided me the opportunity to travel out to China and experience its amazing culture and rich history.
I enjoyed working with CCAFM and, as the team’s relationship liaison with the client, I was provided with a great opportunity to hone my relationship management and international business skills – skills that are necessary for me to succeed in my current job as a Management Consultant. Because the project, on the use of Economic Value Add (EVA) in the U.S., required extensive market research, I ended up creating survey guides and conducting primary interviews – tasks I do in my current job.Of course, the highlight of the class was actually going out to Beijing. In Beijing, not only did we have a chance to work with CCAFM in their offices, but we also got to take in Beijing’s culinary scene (CCAFM picked out some amazing, authentic restaurants!), its diverse nightlife (including some swanky lounges) and its breathtaking sights (like the Forbidden City). It is one thing to see a picture of The Great Wall of China; another to physically walk on it to the top.
I’d recommend this class to anyone interested in hands-on international experience and exposure. I’m still in touch with Professor Stoller and current ICP Asia students to help with current projects.
- Dustin Hermon
- ICP Asia was one of the most memorable and valuable experiences during my time at Boston College. As an evening MBA student, I had the opportunity to work on a team with other evening MBA and MSF students as well as two full-time students from the law school, which provided a truly unique learning opportunity. We essentially worked as bona fide consultants, doing research and building real-world case studies based on U.S. firms, in support of our Chinese colleagues at CCAFM, a Chinese boutique accounting and finance strategy consulting firm. During the course of the project, we became de facto subject matter experts on the topic of Activity-Based Costing, a management technique popular in the U.S. in the early 90s but which is just now picking up speed in China. While the research and case studies were immensely valuable, it was the first-hand international experience that reigned supreme!
The course culminated in a trip to Beijing, to present our findings to our Chinese counterparts and their clients! It was both an honor and privilege to represent Boston College in such an endeavor! Make no mistake, though…Beijing was not all work and no play! We had ample free time to do some sightseeing and enjoy the local culture: bargaining with street vendors and eating scorpions on sticks in Wangfujing, walking across the vast expanse at Tiananmen Square, exploring the Forbidden City, feasting on the local cuisine, and enjoying Beijing’s nightlife (Latte!). However, the two best parts of the trip: lunchtime karaoke (seriously!) with our gracious hosts from CCAFM and climbing the Great Wall of China.
I will never forget the experiences I had and the friends I made (both at BC and in China) during this course. It was a phenomenal and life-changing opportunity!