While last week’s presentation by Dr. Andrew Mertha, assistant professor of political science at Washington University in St Louis, was titled “Six Things Every Businessperson Should Know about China,” it would likely help anyone planning on studying abroad or traveling to China.

Mertha’s first journey to China was in 1988 when he went there to teach English. He lived in China seven years and since then he travels to China two to three times a year.

Mertha revealed that most of his work is done through elite interviewing. The “Six Things” include: Knowing the courts systems, administrative rank, following the money, knowing the centralized and decentralized units, subordination, and personal power. Mertha said the most important point was knowing the administrative rank.

“All units have a rank which helps to navigate the bureacratic maze,” he said.

Mertha closed by saying “[one] must not ignore bureacratic structure. China is extremely complex, but a convenient shorthand is where is the power and who has it?”

Questions followed Mertha’s presentation. He advised future study abroad students not to fear the language barrier.

“China is one of the largest English speaking countries in the world,” he said.