Raising Shanghai
Shanghai, like some of us, is figuring out what to leave behind and what to take with it as it grows up (in this case puberty lasts thousands of years). Unlike some of us, or at least me, it does not seem to be moving forward with a struggle. In fact, judging by the cranes, construction and prices it seems to be moving ahead with a determination and conviction found in Ayn Rand novels. Howard Roark would have disapproved of the “unnecessary” decoration flaunted on the gaudy creations passing as condominium towers and office buildings (a sure sign that Shanghai is not as mature as a city found in a country that counts its history by the millennia might be, is that size still matters and each building must be bigger than the last) but he certainly would have grudgingly approved of the vision and pursuit of making Shanghai the most cosmopolitan, international city in Asia.
I never felt that the city stayed awake like a New York allegedly does, nor does it seem to suffer from the hangovers (the people stare, they might even touch you, but they are nice), but there is the energy of a big city with distinct districts/neighborhoods. Sadly, it appears that the uniqueness of these neighborhoods is giving way to the homogeny of gentrification. When you take time to walk the streets looking for a glimpse of ancient China, or even China 50 years ago, it will be a struggle, unless you walk the alleys of the Old City or transition areas moving west towards the chic neighborhood of Xintiandi. This is a cycle of all major cities in revitalization mode but here the momentum of the wrecking ball never slows.
As a part-time Urban Planning student enrolled in a Masters program in the Wilder School of Government I found myself amused though at certain things that can bring a city (as grand as this one is and will be) to its knees. Much like a meteorologist (or a veteran of too many Grateful Dead shows) muttering about how Mother Nature puts us in our place after a hurricane, I admire how a simple thing like a traffic jam can cripple a city and its activities. No, the cities were not clogged with bikes, though you still find that in the suburbs. Instead, you will find 3 of the four cars surrounding you (should you be in one of the middle lanes designated for “Light Vehicles”) a Volkswagen. Even the police drive Volkswagens. You will find a luxury Buick as well but for the most part Shanghai is a ‘Drivers Wanted’ world. Word to the wise, take the metro when visiting. The stations are clean, plentiful and offer easy instruction in English and in Chinese. Note: the line to get a ticket at the window may be 3 times longer than the line for the automated process but get in it anyway as I guarantee it will be quicker.
If you have an hour or two visit the Shanghai Urban Planning Museum. As a MURP student I was understandably excited about an entire museum dedicated to something I love. How often can you say that about a museum? As if the simple existence of such a museum wasn’t enough, on the third floor of this beauty was a model of the city as it should look in year 2020 (be still my beating GIS heart). Now, I’ve never been a model guy, my Lego creations were always incomplete, but this one had me at hello. It was about 30 yards long and 20 yards wide and no detail was too minute. If you had given me a brush and 1,000 little bottles of model paint I would have gladly painted it. The scale was so spot on I found my hotel without a problem, simply by correctly identifying nearby Ji’nan Park (Tai Chi starts at 6am) which is across from Ji’nan Temple, next to the Tiffany’s (no the building is not a blue box) store, which is below the Pizza Hut adjacent to the Burger King. If you are able to stand more heart-stopping excitement, venture over to the virtual reality tour of Shanghai 2020. It offers views from a car (complete with kids in the back seat of a car in front of you making faces), a helicopter and a magic carpet. The whole time you are touring this city-to-be fireworks erupt above urban spaces and the sunrays shine through the clear Shanghai sky that will never exist in the real world.
In the suburbs of Shanghai one finds the main campus of the Shanghai American School (SAS), one of the schools I visited. It has a sister school in the Pudong district. In the suburbs many of the Western expats live in gated communities and the perimeter of this campus is lined with them.
SAS is the second largest American school in the world (Singapore American School is the largest). The facilities are impressive. For example, they have a 600-seat performance center adjacent to a 200 meter Olympic pool. There are fields for any sport you may want to play but rugby seems to be the preferred activity and both the boys and the girls have full contact rugby teams.
The students come from many different countries yet none are from China. In order to maintain the license that SAS has it cannot have Chinese students. There are some private schools that have a blend of students to include native Chinese but they are not schools who were set up to serve the traditional expat market.
Business degrees are the name of the game here. With the growing market and the traditional luster of making money, students I met asked me about degrees in accounting, management, finance, marketing and economics. For these students I believe VCU provides a good opportunity.
Virginia has been ranked by Forbes magazine as the number one state for new business growth the past two years. Richmond is the financial capitol of the state and thus the hub of financial sector activity. With internship opportunities, a low teacher-student ratio, resources in the new building, and practitioners teaching in the classroom, our School of Business is a good option for international students and I hope to assist many of them with their applications to VCU.