A compendium of current news and headlines with commentary providing unique cultural insight into global affairs, business and daily life around the world.

Interested in receiving the CultureWizard Digest every month? Click here to sign up.

Check out CultureWizard Digest #36 here!

* A Relationship with Disaster
* Cultural Reaction to Catastrophe in Japan
* McWeddings
* Culture of the Eyes

CultureLinks
+ Indians have a sense of humor, too
+ China’s First Nigerian Pop Star

CultureTips
+ Bahrain

RW-3.com

“Business schools like to tout their focus on globalization, but a new report from a b-school accrediting agency says most of their strategies don’t go far enough,” according to an article in the Wall Street Journal. The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business published the report in question.

We’d like to ask who out there went to a graduate business program – either in the US or elsewhere – where the education provided was globally focused and required coursework abroad. Did the experience adequately emphasize the particulars of today’s very global business environment? Were there any courses focusing on intercultural business skills and competencies?

What about other global graduate school degrees? In late 2009, Sean Dubberke of RW3 wrote an article on global education for Mobility magazine. What do you feel it takes to be adequately prepared to engage in truly global, cross-cultural business?

Adam

RW3 CultureWizard

A compendium of current news and headlines with commentary providing unique cultural insight into global affairs, business and daily life around the world.

Interested in receiving the CultureWizard Digest every month? Click here to sign up.

Check out CultureWizard Digest #34 here!

* Favoritism or Guanxi?
* Culture Contradictions
* Hemingway must be rolling in his grave
* How to Pronounce Qatar

CultureLinks
+ The Future of English
+ Describing the Korean Notion of Han

CultureTips
+ China

RW-3.com

In China last week, President Obama used a combination of diplomatic finesse and technological know-how to invite a question from an online viewer via Twitter regarding China’s “great firewall,” or its strict internet censorship policies (click here to read about it in the New York Times). His indirect communication style helped him to convey the message in a subtle way, which appeased his young audience without offending China’s leaders. “Face” is one of the most important cultural concepts in Asia, and President Obama successfully avoided damaging his Chinese counterpart’s “face” while addressing an important, sensitive topic.

Read an opinion piece in the South China Morning Post that highlights Obama’s non-confrontational and culturally sensitive approach to Asia.

Click here to watch CCTV’s (China Central Television) coverage of President Obama’s arrival to the Chinese capital and initial meeting with President Hu Jintao. We found it interesting that the broadcaster in this clip emphasized how he shortened his stay in Japan and South Korea, but did not change his schedule in China. What kind of culturally-rooted communication style is this broadcaster using, and what is he implying? What other thoughts do you have about the tour in Asia?

Since cultural understanding is crucial to international relations, we are offering our next Pocket Guide in the series, which is on China. If you’d like to receive this, please click here.

Charlene

RW-3.com