SBS Blog > MBA offered transformative international experience by Mya Thwe

MBA offered transformative international experience

By Mya Thwe - Posted on 12 November 2025

Mya Thwe has been doing the MBA as a Stephen Young Global Leader scholar this year and was given the opportunity to attend a global summer programme in China – here, she explains how it was a transformative experience.

As a Stephen Young Global Leader scholarship student, I recently had the privilege of attending the Antai Global Summer Programme at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. This three-week programme brought together 80 peers from over 20 countries, offering an immersive journey into Chinese business innovation, culture, and sustainability.

One of the most fascinating aspects of the programme was examining the trajectory of China’s economy. We looked at both its historical development and its rapid evolution today, with particular focus on the booming electric vehicle (EV) market. Professors walked us through industry trends, policy shifts, and the interplay between national carbon-neutrality targets and regional incentives. For example, cities like Shanghai have made EV ownership more attractive through favourable licensing systems, while other regions invest heavily in charging infrastructure or fleet electrification. Seeing how policy and innovation reinforce each other demonstrated how large-scale change can be accelerated when aligned at multiple levels.

Another powerful theme was how HR practices reflect cultural values. We studied examples such as Haidilao, the hotpot restaurant chain known globally for its service culture. Beyond food, Haidilao invests in staff training, promotes managers from within, and provides welfare initiatives - even financial support for employees’ parents, an approach rooted in Confucian traditions of filial piety. This reminded me that people are also central to sustainability. Fair treatment, dignity, and wellbeing are not just HR policies but drivers of long-term organisational resilience. The resonance with the work of Professor Patricia Findlay at Strathclyde on “fair work” was striking, highlighting how values and business performance align across very different contexts.

The programme also connected theory with practice through site visits. A highlight was Bright Dairy Farm, an almost fully automated facility where even cows wear step-tracking devices to monitor activity and predict health issues. Beyond the impressive use of technology, the visit sparked meaningful discussion about food security and land use. China prioritises staple crops like rice over livestock to ensure resource efficiency, showing how sustainability involves tough trade-offs about how best to feed populations while conserving land.

Cultural experiences gave depth to our academic learning. Our visit to Wuzhen, with its historic waterways and traditional streets, provided a glimpse into China’s rich past - made even more memorable by the sight of modern air conditioning units perched just above the canals, a quirky reminder of how tradition and modernity blend in everyday life. Daily life in Shanghai itself was equally striking: menus ordered by QR codes, public transport that was both affordable and efficient, and bike-sharing systems integrated seamlessly into one “super-app.” It reshaped how I think about sustainable urban living, where technology and efficiency can reduce friction and lower environmental impact.

Working alongside classmates from Panama to Australia in group projects further strengthened my skills in cross-cultural collaboration. Our capstone project involved acting as commercial ambassadors to China on behalf of a chosen nation. Representing the UK, my team proudly won the challenge - but more importantly, the exercise taught me how international perspectives enrich strategy and decision-making.

Looking back, the Antai Global Summer Programme was not just an academic experience but a transformative one. It broadened my understanding of how culture, policy, and technology shape approaches to sustainability and business. It also reinforced my belief that true sustainability is about more than environmental performance or financial metrics - it is about people, values, and the ways we choose to live and work together.

I am deeply grateful to the Stephen Young Institute for International Business for supporting this incredible opportunity, and to Shanghai Jiao Tong University for hosting such an inspiring programme.