Preface

The Director of an MBA Program has many different and sometimes surprising tasks to undertake.His life is full of interest and challenge, trying to ensure that his students enjoy a really powerful learning experience that will make a difference to their ability to lead and manage in businesses and organizations, after completing the Program.One of my great pleasures is receiving reports of our students'successes in their careers, with many fascinating accounts of their adventures and challenges.But these are of course, usually stories about career progression and their lives in the world of action.Few of them return to their desks to write.It is therefore with special pleasure that I received the news that our alumnus Donglin Duanmu was to publish a substantial book of nearly 20,000 words providing a guide to overseas study for Chinese students, published by the internationally recognized Peking University Press.And it is a very special honor to be asked to provide a Preface.

Donglin studied here at Lancaster as an MBA student from 2006 to 2007. All the faculty, and his fellow class members, remember his very distinctive and impressive contribution to the class with pleasure.He came to us with the highest recommendations for he had been awarded a prestigious Chevening Scholarship award, offered by the British Government, through the British Council, to help finance his studies.During the Program he received outstanding grades for his academic work, and was eventually awarded the MBA degree with distinction.Within the various elements of the Program, he received one of the highest grades for his combined dissertation and summer internship, coming at the top of the 87 students in the class and was presented with the Dean's Award for Distinction in this area.But beyond this academic performance, Donglin made a very special contribution as a leader in the class. He regularly initiated and took to successful completion special events that enhanced the learning of his fellow students and added to the wider quality of their experience.He took a leading role in various class committees.When asked to present the results of his academic work, he was a powerful speaker, full of informed authority and the ability to handle any questions raised in the class with intelligence and sensitivity.I particularly remember a presentation on ethical issues in business, which was certainly the best given in his year. For this reason, he was an obvious person to ask to provide one of the many video clips about the Program that we have on our website.He achieved this exceptional performance in a very challenging context.The Lancaster MBA has been consistently ranked as one of the world's top 30 MBA Programs by the Financial Times, the most authoritative international league table.The Program regularly attracts outstanding students from about 25 nationalities each year.Many move into leading positions in business and public life across the world.In this highly competitive environment, Donglin stood out as a leader with the highest standards of performance in everything he did.We remember him with affection and pride and anyone reading this book can be sure that Donglin is not just an excellent author.He has demonstrated great personal success in the world he is helping his readers understand better.

This book will therefore provide a very reliable guide for Chinese students who wish to make a great success of overseas study.The benefits of such a step are always far greater than the formal learning achieved.The process is as important as the content of the experience.Discovering the different ways in which other societies operate is important learning, partly because it offers a deeper understanding of one's own society, its strengths and weaknesses.But these differences raise serious difficulties for many international students, for they are unaware of expectations in other countries.This is very apparent from the many, many applications we receive each year.I often have the feeling that many students have the potential to make a much greater impact than they achieve.We are always looking for students whose contribution to the class, and potential for career development, stretches well beyond academic learning and language skill.We want individuals who will be leaders in the class and in life, as well as high performing scholars.Their applications should reflect these wider capabilities vividly.When it is necessary to work through perhaps 15 applications for each place in the class, a vivid and convincing application will stand out and receive closer attention.I am sure that Chinese students who study this book carefully will improve their chances of success in international applications.One very interesting aspect of Donglin's approach is to use some of the ideas and concepts he learned in the MBA to structure the book.The way in which students approach the whole process of international study involves a consideration of one's personal career strategy, personal branding and marketing and ability to deliver an excellent result in the form of time abroad that will enhance one's life and career.The thought and ability that goes into this process is often very obvious from application forms, so you are demonstrating your leadership and management capacity from the moment you send in your application form！

I wish Donglin great success with this book, but I know success for him will only be achieved when its readers, who I hope will be many, find success and satisfaction in a fruitful experience in international education.The rest of the world welcomes you！

Oliver Westall

MBA Director

Lancaster University Management School