Vice President Wu emphasized the long history of Berkeley’s Haas School of Business (HSB). This is the second oldest School of Business in the United States and has become famous internationally for its innovative business education programs and faculty that was successful in the field of business. The HSB is ranked number one in the world among business schools for its economics research, and has had 5 Nobel laureates on its faculty. Its alumni are among leaders in various fields, which include Adobe President and Chief Executive Officer Shantanu Narayen, Intel President and Chief Executive Officer Paul Otellini, Simpson Manufacturing CO., INC. Chairman and Founder Barclay Simpson, and Google Map Founder John Hanke.

During the meeting, Berkeley’s MBA student delegation said they were very impressed by Taiwan’s unique and friendly environment. They were also impressed by Taiwan’s economic development. Wu mentioned that though Taiwan does not have a large territory or population, it has many successful international enterprises such as the HTC Corporation, ASUSTeK Computer Inc., Acer Inc., and Giant Manufacturing Co. Ltd. which produces GIANT bicycles. Taiwan has strengthened economical competitiveness in an international context. According to the “2012 IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook”, Taiwan ranked 7th among 59 countries, a vast improvement over only three years ago and it was ranked 23rd. Then, as for “Enterprise Management” rankings, Taiwan has moved from number three up to number one. Furthermore, according to the Global Competitiveness Reports 2012 published by the World Economic Forum (WEF), Taiwan has again progressed rapidly and was ranked 13th in the world in 2012. This shows that Taiwan, as one of the six high-performance countries in the Asia-Pacific region, continues to gain strength in terms of international competitiveness.

In conclusion, Vice President Wu affirmed the importance of the Berkeley MBA students’ tours to top enterprises around the world during their winter and summer break. He said that in this way they will gain a clearer perception of the international business world, and a more comprehensive global vision. Wu hoped this student delegation would learn more during their Taiwan trip, and fully understand the country’s current economic strength and the potential of future develpment.