By Darien Lauren Carroll ’10, MA in Global Affairs and Management
I’m not your typical Thunderbird. My passion is to explore and my drive is creativity. But then, with that definition, most T-birds would consider themselves atypical. I guess that is what we are, a group of misfits.
I mention this, to introduce myself and explain my path that led me to a summer in Washington D.C. at National Geographic Headquarters.
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By Christen Pechman ’10, Traditional Full-time MBA Program
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – As a result of this blog, I have received several questions about my Thunderbird experiences from a prospective student and also a new incoming student. I took the time to respond to each individually and then thought it might be useful to other readers, so here you go. If you have any particular questions, please let any of us know, we are happy to blog about specific issues of interest to our readers!
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By Akshay Jakatdar ’09, MA in Global Affairs and Management
Hollywood Road. SOHO. The Mid-Levels. Avenue of the Stars…If you guessed Hong Kong, you are correct. I have just returned from a quick, 4-day trip to Hong Kong. The last time I visited Hong Kong was in 1997, the year that it was returned to China after over a century of British rule. Hong Kong has changed dramatically during that time. The first thing I noted was that English was no longer the second language: all public announcements were made in Cantonese and then Mandarin, with English now coming in third. Mainland China’s influence is obvious, Bank of China has a glittering 75 story building in the heart of the financial district. For any of you thinking about traveling to Hong Kong, here is my suggestion for a 4-day intinerary:
Day 1, Wednesday: This is “free-day” at all six major museums in Hong Kong. Although the Art and History museums are definitely worth paying for, why not see them for free by arriving on a Wednesday morning. The Science museum is worth visiting as well.
Day 2, Thursday: Spend the day exploring Kowloon Island and experience “old Hong Kong.” The local fish markets, clothing stores, restaurants are absolutely amazing, and for the less squeamish, visit a fresh food market to watch fish and other animals butchered fresh to order.
Day 3, Friday: Spend the day on Lantau Island. The island is accessible by MTR, and then a 25 minute cable car ride which is well worth the admission price, especially if you spend the day on the island. Just about $22 USD will get you 50 minutes worth of cable car, admission to the giant Buddha (it really is humongous), and to the Monkey Show (which isnt great, but the other two more than make up for it). It is easy to spend 7-8 hours on the island, including travel time from Hong Kong Central Station.
Day 4, Saturday: Explore Hong Kong, including the Financial District, the Mid-Levels, SOHO, Avenue of the Stars, and Hollywood Road. Visit Kowloon again for a last shopping trip down Nathan Road. Dim Sum is easily available, Hong Kong invented it.
Nightlife is literally 24-7. Bars and clubs stay open all night long, often till 7:00 or 8:00 AM, after which the party continues in the street stalls and noodle bars as people rush to crowd the streets and eat after a long night of partying. The main nightlife areas are Wan Chai and Lan Kwai Fong, located within walking distance of the MTR.
By Akshay Jakatdar ’09, MA in Global Affairs and Management
On a recent trip to Dhaka, Bangladesh, I was fortunate to visit the headquarters of the Grameen Bank, the Nobel Peace Prize-winning microcredit institution launched by Professor Muhammad Yunus in 1983. I had the opportunity to talk to Nadina Perera and Shams Islam, both credit analysts at the bank’s new headquarters in Dhaka. The Grameen Bank operates as a microcredit organization devoted to community development by awarding loans, primarily to working women, and allowing pay back over time based on a system of peer-pressure: finances are managed and loans repaid by pressure from other members of the group, whose own loans face default if those of others remain unpaid.
By the end of 2008, the Grameen Bank had loaned over $7.6 billion USD to the poor, inspiring similar projects in nearly 40 countries. Grameen Bank also serves to uplift the poor by promoting values such as the Sixteen Decisions, including family planning, sending all children to school, giving up the practices of dowry and child marriage. Nearly 97 percent of the bank’s borrowers are women, and statistics show that its microcredit activities have lifted nearly 50 million people out of abject poverty.
What was most interesting to learn was that there is no written contract between the borrowers and the bank. It operates on a system of trust. Projects such as the Struggling Members program have helped beggars overcome poverty by giving them interest-free loans to invest in and sell low-cost products. Although the bank has received criticism for charging interest rates higher than conventional banks, and from some economists, for operating as “welfare,” Grameen, meaning “of the village” in Bengali, continues daily to improve the lives of millions, not just in Bangladesh but around the world.
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