Jacky Li

Jacky Li arrived in Richmond in August as an exchange student from the School of Economics and Management at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China.  As an MBA student at Tsinghua, he had competed with 400 other students to land one of 22 opportunities to study abroad.

Li sees the exchange program with The Richmond MBA as integral step in broadening his global business perspective.  “The exchange program plays a very important role in cultivating a student’s global vision and provides a sense of diverse cultures,” Li said.

As an undergraduate, Li studied at Hebei University of Science and Technology, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in communication engineering with a minor in law. He was the recipient of scholarships throughout his time at Hebei.

While a student, Li wrote for the campus newspaper and served as vice president of the student association. Before graduating, he passed the National Computer Rank Examination at the highest level of computer science in China.

Upon graduating from Hebei University in 2003, Li worked for the world’s second-largest integrated provider of telecommunications equipment, Huawei Corporation, and then moved to China Satellite Communications Corporation.

In 2007 he was promoted to deputy general manager at China Satellite Communications, where he was responsible for human resources and marketing. Just two years later, Li’s company went through a merger, and he was promoted to the head of marketing for China Telecom.

Outside of the classroom, Li has had to adjust to life in the United States not only as a graduate student, but also as a parent.  Li’s family has joined him in the United States. He has had to navigate renting a house locally, buying a car and selecting a school for his two-year-old child to attend.

The Opening Residency class that he participated in helped with the transition to taking courses in a foreign country.  “The orientation to The Richmond MBA is perfect,” Li said. “It provided everything I needed to prepare for classes at University of Richmond, and I really appreciated it.”

With plans of starting a future business, Li has found a need to learn more about management, marketing and strategy, all of which are covered in The Richmond MBA curriculum.  He has benefited and enjoyed learning from his professors and classmates who bring their professional work experience and knowledge into class dialogue.

Li sees his experience studying in the United States as advantageous for him long-term.  “The Richmond MBA provides absolute advantages in international business,” Li said. “There are lots of opportunities to connect with entrepreneurs and successful people in the program.”