A senior marketing major from Portland, Ore. Mike Liebman chose China because he wanted to immerse himself in a completely different culture. He also wanted to learn international business, a field in which China is a leader. “College is the best time to have that kind of an experience because you have the support of the school behind you,” he says. Liebman was already an avid traveler, however, having visited Israel, France, Mexico, Cuba and Costa Rica.

Liebman’s courses included Chinese Business, Business and Politics in China, Political Economics in Southeast Asia, Art and Principals of Advertising in China. Comparing UM and CUHK, Liebman says “The universities were academically similar, but in China there was much less homework and more exams. Both are located in big cities where people from the community come to teach, both have well-qualified professors, and both are beautiful campuses.” His roommate at CUHK was a Chinese student whose father owned a plastic production company. Liebman was able to tour the plant and see firsthand how the business works.

“Studying abroad makes you realize how big the world is and how to travel around it,” Leibman says. “I was able to spend a lot of time discovering China, especially in and around Beijing. I went to Japan with two other UM students; we climbed Mount Fuji and visited Tokyo and Kyoto. I really got into water sports, climbing and hiking during my trip so I spent a month in Thailand after my program ended. People from all over the world come to the Kho Phi Phi Islands to climb; one of my favorite adventures there was a climb over water with no ropes. I got 30 feet up before falling into the water.”

When asked if the whole experience changes his life, Liebman said, “Yes, even though that sounds like a cliché. I know the international experience puts me ahead of the game and strengthens my résumé, and now I’m even more excited to travel. There are so many more places in Asia that I still want to see: Indonesia, Bali, Vietnam, Laos,” the list goes on. He also made friends from Italy, Spain, Australia, Korea, Japan and Sweden; he wants to visit them all someday.

“If you don’t study abroad, you’re missing out on one of the best things you can do in college,” Liebman concludes.His advice for his peers. “Be open-minded to places that are different; you’ll learn the most and create the biggest opportunities. Having the framework for a school program gives you place to stay, makes it easy to meet people and helps with cultural adjustments. The staff at the School of Business will help you find matching credits abroad and you come back with a better understanding of the world.”

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