June 7, 2010

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Students from the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Business will spend a month in China in an annual exchange program that includes a three-week stay in the Birmingham's sister city Anshan and a trip to the nation's capital, Beijing.

Students will immerse themselves in Chinese society and coursework on international business and broader cultural interests at Anshan Normal University. Next they will travel to Cangzhou to visit a factory owned by Birmingham-based McWane Cast Iron Pipe Co., and then to Bejing.

"We live in a global economy. For our graduates to excel as professionals they need to be exposed to international business markets," says K.C. Pang, M.B.A., who directs the UAB in China program and teaches in the business school. "China already knows much about us and our business practices, but Alabamians need to learn more about China - the country accounts for more than $1 billion in annual trade with our state alone."

Pang leads 12 students on this year's trip: Robert Sherman, 26, and Marshall Long, 25, of Birmingham; Brandon Dambach, 26, of Vestavia Hills; M. Umair Khan, 25, and Patrick Tatum, 23, of Hoover; Katie Holland, 22, of Pelham; Nereyda Garcia, 21, and Dwana Martin, 23, of Montgomery; John Kier, 21, of Huntsville; Meredith Edmonds, 25, of Livingston; Marcus Dillavou, 27, of Dallas, Texas; Zhou Jo Liang, 21, of Guiyang City, China.

About the UAB School of Business

Known for its innovative and interdisciplinary approach to education at the graduate and undergraduate levels, the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is an internationally renowned research university and academic medical center. Capitalizing on the campus' location in the heart of Alabama's largest city and business center, the UAB School of Business offers unparalleled student access to internships as well as part- and full-time employment opportunities with the state's most significant companies.