Sales manager XU Saijin found that the MAIRET degree, offered as part of the Flinders-Nankai program had an edge over other courses. “Many Masters programs focus only on management or economies, but this program also included international relations. Because the world is so closely connected, I believe that international relations will always have impact on business dealings in every country, and it is a crucial topic for all people who work in international trade.”
Currently working as a Domestic Sales Manager for ESP International Shenzhen Division, XU Saijin says she carefully assessed the benefits of several learning institutions before joining the Flinders-Nankai program. “To decide which university I wanted to attend for my Master’s degree, I considered three major factors: the university’s reputation for teaching, the relevance of the program to international business practices, and that the qualification is recognised in both China and Australia. I found that the Flinders-Nankai program combined the perfect mix of all these characteristics.”
She was especially impressed with the professors who taught the course, their enthusiasm for the job and their dedication to hard work. “They always came to the classes well prepared with easy-to-understand presentations and numerous examples. Their lectures explained theory through examples from the real world. They listened to our opinions. They made us feel important.”
Working for a US-based company, XU Saijin’s current role is related to customer service and sales activities in China. “After graduating, I went to our US headquarters for two weeks of comprehensive training that covered a lot of different areas: supply chain, sales and marketing, HR, warehousing and accounting. Graduating from the MAIRET program got me prepared for this training, and for how I could communicate with local people in the US. After that, I also went to Singapore, and met our company’s Indian colleagues and local customers. It was a fantastic experience for me. I now have continual communication with my customers and suppliers around the world.”
“What I learned from the MAIRET program has really helped me in all these activities. The cross-cultural knowledge related to international relations has helped me greatly in communicating confidently with people from different cultures – and it has helped me in drafting the company strategy.”
Working within her company, XU Saijin has been able to undertake many different roles, from supply chain delivery, laboratory work and logistics to customer service and sales. “Every time I have been given the chance to try a new role, I am always open to it,” she says. “Every time I try a new role, I learn from it. I think the greatest accomplishment of my career so far is that I have successfully gone through all of these transitions.”
As a result of her studies, she has learned how to assume greater responsibility – and be prepared to adapt in difficult circumstances. “At the end of 2016, our company’s China sales manager resigned, and I had to take over customer service duties, which required travelling every month as a salesperson, I was also studying over the weekends to obtain my Master’s degree, while also taking care of my young child. It was a crazy two years but I finally made it. I’ve now got my Master’s degree, and I obtained 13 High Distinctions in my course. In my company, the value of our sales in China increased from $1 million to $1.7 million, for which I am especially proud. And I remain a very caring mother and a close friend to my child.”
XU Saijin also learned from her MAIRET teachers where to find inspiration and guidance – often from unlikely sources. “I have been greatly inspired by Don, a manager in our company, who will retire in a few years, but remains very enthusiastic about his work. He always shares his experience and knowledge, and coached me when I had to do a lot of difficult travelling for my work. He was so kind and willing to take responsibility that it has inspired me to do the same thing for others in future.”
An enduring legacy of MAIRET studies is that XU Saijin and her class members remain in contact and continue to share their experiences – both personal and professional. “We are in the same WeChat group and we exchange information and opinions regarding current events in China and around the world,” she says. “We have a yearly reunion, but we also help each other at other times. Some people have initiated or attended charity activities and we shared resources with each other.
“Our knowledge is not just what we have learned from the classes, it is also drawn from the real life. Our professors not only taught us knowledge in the classroom but also imparted strong values in us. Their enthusiasm for the job, their attitude towards embracing a different culture and their knowledge about history and the business world are important lessons for us. Their example has led me to engage more openly with the world.”
XU Saijin says the MAIRET program has encouraged her to be more open to many different kinds of values, which has very important in both her professional and personal life. “I have grown as a person, and as a mother,” she says, “and as a professional manager, I aim to provide best-in-class solutions, no matter which field I find myself in the future.
销售经理徐赛金认为，南开大学-澳大利亚 弗林德斯大学合作举办的国际经贸关系 硕士项目比其他同类课程有着明显的优 势。“许多硕士课程只专注于管理学或经 济学，但是这门课程还涵盖了国际关系的 内容。因为当今世界各国紧密相连，我相 信国际关系将对各国的商业贸易产生重 大影响。所以国际关系对于国际贸易从业 者来说是重要的议题。”
如今身为ESP国际深圳分公司国内销售经 理的徐赛金回忆道，在她决定在南开-弗林 德斯项目学习之前，她认真对比了多家教 育机构。“我在考虑攻读硕士学位的大学 时，主要考虑了三大因素：大学的教学声 誉，课程与国际商业实践的相关性，以及学 历是否被中国和澳洲认可。我发现南开-弗 林德斯项目是以上三点的完美组合。”
她尤其钦佩课程的教授们对工作的热情 和工作时得专注和努力。“他们总是为每 一堂课做足充分准备，准备通俗易懂的讲 义和大量的例子。在课上他们通过实际的 案例来诠释理论知识。他们认真倾听我们 的意见，让我们觉得自己很重要。“
徐赛金现在为一家美国公司工作，她的 职位主要处理中国的客户关系和销售活 动。“毕业后我前往美国总部参加了为期 两周的全面培训。培训涵盖众多领域：供 应链，销售和营销，人力资源，仓库管理以 及会计。作为国际经贸关系硕士项目的毕 业生可以从容应对本次培训，并且现在在 美国我可以和当地人交流。此后，我还前 往新加坡，在那里我认识了我们公司的印度同事和本地客户们。这对我来说是一个 非常美好的经历。我现在和全世界的客户 以及供应商都保持联系。
我在 该 项目所学到的知识在方方面面 让我受益匪浅。其中，国际关系中所涉及 的跨文化交流使我可以与不同文化背景 的人自信交流，这对我制定公司战略至 关重要。
徐赛金在她的公司胜任了不同职位，从供 应链运输，实验室研发，物流，客户服务到 销售岗位。“每一次当我有机会尝试新岗 位的时候我都欣然接受，”她说。“每一次 我尝试新角色，我都能从中学习。我认为 我职业生涯迄今为止最大的成就是我成 功地经历了所有这些转变。”
这次学习经历让她学会了如何承担重任， 以及如何适应不同环境。“在2016年底， 我们公司的中国销售经理离职了，而我需 要承担客户服务的职责。作为销售每个月 我需要出差，还要在周末继续学习我的硕 士课程，与此同时我还要照顾我年幼的孩 子。那两年极其辛苦，但是我坚持了下来。 我取得了硕士学位，拿到了13门课的成绩 都是优秀级别。尤其令我自豪的是我们公 司在中国的销售从100万美元增长到170 万美元。同时，对我的孩子来说我是一个 关怀备至的母亲，也是他的好朋友。”
徐赛金也从该课程的老师们那里学习到 了从何处寻求启发和得到指引，通常是从 意想不到的地方。“我深受我们公司经理 Don的启发，他过几年就要退休了，但是仍然对他的工作保持热情。他总是向别人分 享他的经验和知识，并且在我遇到频繁且 困难的出差任务的时候教导我如何应对。 他非常善良并且愿意承担责任，这启发我 在未来像他一样对待他人。
徐赛金 和她的同学们始终保持着私人和 职业上的联系，这是国际经贸关系硕士课 程另一个持久的影响。“我们有一个微信 群，并且在群里交换关于中国和世界时事 的信息和意见，“她说道。”我们有一个年 度聚会，但在其余的时间里我们都会互相 帮助。有些人发起或者参与慈善活动，我 们互相之间会共享资源。
“我们的知识不仅仅来源于课堂，也来自 于日常生活。我们的教授们不仅在课堂上 向我们传授知识，并赋予我们坚实的价值 观。他们对工作的热情，对不同文化的包 容和他们对历史和商业的理解都非常值 得我们学习。他们树立的榜样让我用更开 放的心态面对这个世界。”
徐赛金认为该项目激励她更开放包容地 接受不同价值观，这对她的个人生活和 职业生涯都产生巨大的影响。“我已经长 大成人，成为了一名母亲，”她说道，“作 为一个职业经理，不论未来我在哪个领 域，我都将致力于为客户提供最好的解 决方案。”