Overview
The 2025 University of Hawaii Asian Field Study (AFS) is designed for students interested in expanding their business careers into the dynamic Asia-Pacific region. It consists of preparatory classes and an onsite business tour to Asia. We are currently considering Tokyo, Seoul, Bangkok, Hanoi, Ha Long and Kyoto as the cities to visit. The final itinerary will depend on our ability to gain quality company visits. Graduate students will enroll in two 3-credit courses: 1) BUS 675, the AFS pre-trip preparation course which will be taught in-person at Shidler and 2) BUS 676, the Asia business tour travel portion of the program. BBAs will enroll in BUS475/476 for 6-credits, please consult with your academic advisor. Please note, for all students (graduate and undergraduate), the per credit tuition for the AFS program will be at Shidler's Executive MBA rate which is $1,050 per credit.
The courses may count toward one or two of the following: International Business (IB) elective, IB major elective, entrepreneurship major elective, upper division elective, or management elective for BBA students, entrepreneurship certificate for graduate students, and PAMI international management certificate (consult with your academic advisor for applicability).
For graduate students that would like to study Asian Business but not participate in the travel portion of the Asian Field Study, it is okay to just register for BUS675. In this case, it is not necessary to complete the Online Application noted below.
Below is a summary of the planned program offering. Note, we are still early in the planning process, so dates, focus, and content are subject to change.
Online Application
- The online application for 2025 will start the first week of March 2025 and the link will be provided below. Students will receive an email notification of the application going live with details on the process.
- Have your passport on hand when filling in the application. If you don't have a valid passport, apply for one immediately.
Asian Field Study 2025 Business Travel Tour
- Preliminary Schedule (dates are subject to change):
- Depart Honolulu June 26th and return to Honolulu around July 17th
- Cities currently being considered include: Tokyo, Seoul, Bangkok, Hanoi, Ha Long and Kyoto.
- Visit approximately 25 companies in a wide variety of industries.
- See cultural sites and hold executive mixers in each city.
- For graduate students, the tour is BUS676 and for undergrads it is BUS475.
- Each student will complete a research report on some aspect of the tour, more details will be provided when the course syllabus is distributed. Upon returning to Honolulu, a final online class will be scheduled for students to present their research reports and have a course wrap-up.
Tentative Class Schedule for Pre-trip Course
Weekday evening classes will be online via Zoom and weekend day classes will be in person at Shidler College. Dates and times are subject to change. For graduate students the pre-trip course is BUS675 and for undergrads it is BUS475. While the overall Asia-Pacific region will be covered, an emphasis will be given to Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, China, Taiwan and Indonesia.
| Session | Date | Day | Topic | Pre-Reading Assignment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | May 27 | Tues 6 - 9 pm | 1) Asian Corporate Analysis: An Equity Approach 2) Case Study: Toyota Motor Corporation | Lecture Notes, case study and pre-lecture material/readings |
| 2 & 3 | May 31 | Sat 9am - 4pm | 1) Country Analysis Methods: Economy, trade policy, comparative advantage and sovereign risk 2) Japan Export Model, 3) Guest Speakers covering Economies and Industries throughout Asia | Lecture Notes, Case Study and Guest speaker pre-lecture material/readings |
| 4 | June 3 | Tues 6 - 9 pm | 1) Asian Foreign Exchange Markets and Risk Hedging | Lecture Notes, Due: Individual Corporate Equity Analysis and Pitch |
| 5 | June 19 | Thurs 6 - 9pm | 1) Short student equity pitches and 2) Case Study TBD | |
| 6 | June 10 | Tues 6 - 9 pm | 1) New venture business opportunities in and with Asia, 2) In-class exercise identifying, analyzing and valuing Asian venture business | Lecture Notes and Case Study |
| 7 | June 17 | Tues 6 - 9 pm | 1) Asian commercial real estate 2) Case Study: Hotel valuation and financing | Lecture Notes and Case Study |
| 8 & 9 | June 21 | Sat 9am - 4pm | 1) Student Group Country Analysis Presentations, 2) Guest Speakers, 3) Pre-trip preparation and planning | Due: Group Country Presentation PowerPoint and Summary Write-up, Guest speaker pre-lecture material/readings |
| 10 | June 24 | Tues 6 - 9pm | 1) Marketing in Asia, 2) Case Study: Kit Kat Japan and/or NBA China | Read Case Studies |
| 11 | June 26 | Thurs 6 - 9pm | 1) Student presentations providing pre-trip Executive Summary on companies and institutions to be visited, 2) Short Quiz | Due: Individual Write-up covering assigned site visit Industry/Company or Research Report |
Cost
The estimated program registration fee $5,800, which includes airfare originating from Honolulu (Neighbor Island or other origin is extra); ground, lodging based on double occupancy and breakfast while onsite in Asia. Other meals and incidentals are excluded. Trip cost excludes tuition. Participating students must also register for courses (BUS675/676 or BUS475/476) and pay the applicable 6 credit hours.
Scholarships
Usually, 12-15 Scholarships covering between $1,000 to $5,000 are generously donated from the following sources. You will need to complete the applicable questions in the online application to be eligible for these scholarships.
- Freeman Foundation Asian Fellowship Program
- Ralph Inouye Endowment in honor of Professor KK Seo
- Asian Field Study Association
- Michael and Judy Pietsch Study Abroad Scholarship
- Others to be announced
Program Objectives
The objective of the Asian Field Study program is to prepare students for business careers and the pursuit of venture opportunities in the Asia-Pacific region. This is accomplished by studying key regional market trends, industries and corporations, improving language skills, learning management strategies and adapting to unique cultures and business practices.
The program exposes students to diverse and relevant Asian business environments, utilizing academic theory, financial analysis, case studies and business models as a framework for real-world experiences, consisting of site visits, Q&A sessions with business executives and direct in-country research. Diversity is emphasized by mixing economies at varying stages of development, as well as specific site visits from a variety of industries and firm types. Emphasis is given to industries with synergies to the Hawaii economy such as tourism, healthcare, real estate/construction, financial services, entertainment, transportation, and internet commerce.
Target Participants and Prerequisites
For the BUS676 and BUS477 travel portion of the program, the size of the group has been targeted at 15-22 students. The 2025 AFS is expected to be comprised of a mix of EMBA, MBA and BBA students with potentially a few non-business majors. Selection will be based on criteria contained in the application and meeting the following prerequisites:
- Registered UH System-wide undergraduate and graduate students from any discipline. Priority is given to Shidler EMBA, MBA and BBA students.
- Overall: 3.0 GPA, Major: 3.0 GPA.
- Medical clearance to travel abroad.
- Successful completion of the preparatory pre-trip course at Shidler (BUS 675 or BUS475) in order to participate in the onsite Asian business tour.
Timeframes
- The Online Application process will start the first week of March and be due by March 25, 2025
- Acceptance Notification (April 3, 2025)
- Initial Deposit Payment Due and Passports Collected (by April 16, 2025)