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Taking an old game to a new level
July 1, 2009, Wednesday
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STUDENTS in 38 universities in Hangzhou are learning practical skills and management abilities by playing a game. Nie Xin looks at a new learning experience.
Some young people might be familiar with the board game "Monopoly," one of the best-selling and most popular board games in the world. Players buy and sell houses, properties and public facilities like railway stations and electricity companies to make a profit. The winner is the player who has the most money and property - the player with the "Monopoly."
Now some college students in China have started playing "Monopoly" in the real world with almost all the same real-life conditions and business practices. It's a university project called "Practice Enterprises" or virtual company.
The virtual company concept is an innovative business program, based on activity-based learning. The Practice Enterprises Network has been going for 60 years experience and operates in 42 countries and regions including Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, UK, the United States, Spain and Sweden. Now it comes to China and starts with 38 universities in Hangzhou, the pioneer city for the project.
"This training program provides participants with real business experience and helps them develop personal qualities and attitudes such as leadership, decision-making, problem solving and communication skills in a group environment, working towards a positive outcome," says Liu Yang, the expert in the Consultant Project Office of National Governing Committee for Entrepreneurship Training, and the director of Hangzhou Center Office of the PENCIL (Practice Enterprises Network China International Links).
Huang Wei is now in the third year of studying chemistry engineering in Zhejiang University of Technology, and he is also the "general manager" of the Practice Enterprises' "Glass-E Co."
In the "company" office of about 40 square meters, everything is the same as a real company, from the office desks and chairs to computers and nameplates with "General Manager," "Manager," "Marketing Department" and "Sales Department." The project started one year ago in May 2008 and when a notice was posted on the campus Website, and 32 students applied to join.
"We didn't understand what it would be, neither the system, nor the business," says Huang, "We were told to talk about our internship experience and ideas for creating our own businesses."
After the first interview, 17 students were selected to form the first team. After several rounds of assessment, four students became the administration with Huang, the general manager, and others applied for other positions that they were interested in, like marketing and sales.
The students finally decided to run a glass company which specialized in designing and selling fashionable glassware. From researching the prices in the glass market, looking for designers and promotion on the Internet, every task is clearly defined and each team member cooperates with the others.
All the selling and buying really amounts to "zero" as not a penny is paid or received. Everything happens among virtual companies throughout the world, including banking, taxing and accounting.
Expansion
But all the profits and losses will be clearly read on paper after a few months.
Thirty-eight universities in Hangzhou have joined PENCIL, covering almost all the universities in Hangzhou. The businesses range from IT, restaurant management and media advertising. The project is also on its way to Beijing and Shanghai. There are plans to involve 100 cities in this project in China.
"Students are provided not merely with the physical facilities, but guidance and assistance from experienced tutors," says Liu. The tutors are invited from relevant "real" companies. All of them are from senior administration levels.
"The practical enterprise is different from a social internship," says Liu, "Students can get experience from them, but the practical enterprise provides the students with the opportunities to find out how to run their own business and what it will be like. They can see the result before they really lose the money."
Students are also guaranteed time for study and use their leisure time to run the company.
Before the students start running the business, there is a 120-hour training course for them.
And then they can start to "play" in their company for up to three years.
"Maybe I will not start my own business immediately after graduation and will find a job first. But it will be a precious experience to me," says Huang.
Every practical enterprise gets supports from the Ministry of Human Resource and Social Security worth 70,000 yuan (US$10,248). The fees for tutors are also paid by the government.
"We hope our college students can learn by doing this without real financial risk. But the whole environment will make every member here work hard and seriously. It's not a game, but a practical strategy to make them successful in the near future," says Liu.
Some young people might be familiar with the board game "Monopoly," one of the best-selling and most popular board games in the world. Players buy and sell houses, properties and public facilities like railway stations and electricity companies to make a profit. The winner is the player who has the most money and property - the player with the "Monopoly."
Now some college students in China have started playing "Monopoly" in the real world with almost all the same real-life conditions and business practices. It's a university project called "Practice Enterprises" or virtual company.
The virtual company concept is an innovative business program, based on activity-based learning. The Practice Enterprises Network has been going for 60 years experience and operates in 42 countries and regions including Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, UK, the United States, Spain and Sweden. Now it comes to China and starts with 38 universities in Hangzhou, the pioneer city for the project.
"This training program provides participants with real business experience and helps them develop personal qualities and attitudes such as leadership, decision-making, problem solving and communication skills in a group environment, working towards a positive outcome," says Liu Yang, the expert in the Consultant Project Office of National Governing Committee for Entrepreneurship Training, and the director of Hangzhou Center Office of the PENCIL (Practice Enterprises Network China International Links).
Huang Wei is now in the third year of studying chemistry engineering in Zhejiang University of Technology, and he is also the "general manager" of the Practice Enterprises' "Glass-E Co."
In the "company" office of about 40 square meters, everything is the same as a real company, from the office desks and chairs to computers and nameplates with "General Manager," "Manager," "Marketing Department" and "Sales Department." The project started one year ago in May 2008 and when a notice was posted on the campus Website, and 32 students applied to join.
"We didn't understand what it would be, neither the system, nor the business," says Huang, "We were told to talk about our internship experience and ideas for creating our own businesses."
After the first interview, 17 students were selected to form the first team. After several rounds of assessment, four students became the administration with Huang, the general manager, and others applied for other positions that they were interested in, like marketing and sales.
The students finally decided to run a glass company which specialized in designing and selling fashionable glassware. From researching the prices in the glass market, looking for designers and promotion on the Internet, every task is clearly defined and each team member cooperates with the others.
All the selling and buying really amounts to "zero" as not a penny is paid or received. Everything happens among virtual companies throughout the world, including banking, taxing and accounting.
Expansion
But all the profits and losses will be clearly read on paper after a few months.
Thirty-eight universities in Hangzhou have joined PENCIL, covering almost all the universities in Hangzhou. The businesses range from IT, restaurant management and media advertising. The project is also on its way to Beijing and Shanghai. There are plans to involve 100 cities in this project in China.
"Students are provided not merely with the physical facilities, but guidance and assistance from experienced tutors," says Liu. The tutors are invited from relevant "real" companies. All of them are from senior administration levels.
"The practical enterprise is different from a social internship," says Liu, "Students can get experience from them, but the practical enterprise provides the students with the opportunities to find out how to run their own business and what it will be like. They can see the result before they really lose the money."
Students are also guaranteed time for study and use their leisure time to run the company.
Before the students start running the business, there is a 120-hour training course for them.
And then they can start to "play" in their company for up to three years.
"Maybe I will not start my own business immediately after graduation and will find a job first. But it will be a precious experience to me," says Huang.
Every practical enterprise gets supports from the Ministry of Human Resource and Social Security worth 70,000 yuan (US$10,248). The fees for tutors are also paid by the government.
"We hope our college students can learn by doing this without real financial risk. But the whole environment will make every member here work hard and seriously. It's not a game, but a practical strategy to make them successful in the near future," says Liu.
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