International

Berkeley Haas: Beyond Business

Student Wenbo Wang describes his BHGAP entrepreneurship courses and how learning at Berkeley is different from China
22

Wenbo Wang is a finance student from Beijing Foreign Studies University, and a graduate of the Berkeley Haas Global Access Program (BHGAP), which brings international students from diverse backgrounds to study business and entrepreneurship at UC Berkeley. His post originally appeared on his blog and has been edited for clarity and length.

Hi all!

In my last post I talked about the great company site visits BHGAP offers. Today I’m going to dive in deeper into what it’s really like inside the classroom during BHGAP!

A photo of a singular marshmallow

Course Highlights

One really distinct feature of courses in BHGAP is they are so practical. Have you ever heard of the Marshmallow Challenge? Have you ever done it?

Well, we did, in our Fundamentals of Design Thinking class. It seemed rather odd to me at first, working with a bunch of spaghetti sticks and a marshmallow. Then after we tried several times (and failed), I gradually understood the professor’s point—the challenge was never just about building the tallest freestanding structure, but rather more about collaboration and the importance of prototyping.

"What’s more, BHGAP is so much more than just business."

This really surprised me, because I’ve been so accustomed to acquiring knowledge through textbooks. But here at BHGAP, I can get it through hands-on experience!

BHGAP students who are in the class, The Fundamentals of Design Thinking, posing in a classroom together.

Popular Classes

What’s more, BHGAP is so much more than just business. Psychology has always been an interest of mine, but being a business major, it wasn’t clear how I could apply that to my field of study—until I took the Decision Making course.

It was unarguably my personal favorite class, taught by professor Barry Schwartz, a world-renowned psychologist. Throughout the course, not only did I learn quite a few intriguing fallacies that happen during the decision-making process, but also psychology’s usage in branding and strategic planning. With all that knowledge learned, I simply can’t wait to explore more!

There are so many fantastic courses within BHGAP: Innovation Strategies for Emerging Technology Companies, FinTech; you can always check them out by visiting the website below! Don’t be limited by conventional ways of learning, come and explore more in the Berkeley Haas Global Access Program yourself!

Learn More

The Berkeley Haas Global Access Program brings international students to UC Berkeley to study business and entrepreneurship. It also offers plenty to do and see outside of class.

Want to hear more student perspectives? Read more BHGAP blogs or visit our website.

Explore Further