3 Countries, 18 Days, One Unforgettable Maymester
Seventeen students from Syracuse University, including students from the , , and , traveled to Asia in May as part of an 18-day study abroad trip for the (SPM 440/SAL 440) class. , associate professor of sport management, and , professor of sport management, led the trip.
Traveling to Seoul, Beijing and Tokyo, the students learned about local sport ecosystems by visiting the Korean Sport and Olympic Committee, Korean Sport Promotion Foundation, K-league, Chinese Soccer League, the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum and more. They learned about the globalization strategies of U.S. sport entities by meeting with NFL China, NBA China, MLB Asia and the PGA Tour; and studied the impact of mega sporting events by visiting Seoul’s Olympic Park, Beijing National Stadium (also known as the Bird’s Nest, which played host of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games and 2022 Winter Olympic Games) and Japan National Stadium.
The Syracuse students engaged in joint classes with local students from Sungkyunkwan University and the Chinese University of Political Science and Law. They also attended local events such as a Korean baseball game at Jamsil Stadium, Chinese soccer at Worker’s Stadium, Nike high school basketball at Wukesong Arena and Japanese baseball at Tokyo Dome.
The trip provided opportunities for cultural immersion, including gaming and esports, screen golf, kung fu and kendo, as well as sightseeing at the Korean National Palace, the Korean Demilitarized Zone, the Great Wall of China, the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square and the Tokyo Samurai Museum.
“Taking in the beautiful grounds of Gyeongbokgung Palace was a one-of-a-kind experience that can’t be expressed in words,” said sport management major Zach Siegel ’27. “You could feel the rich history and culture all around.”
The students kept a of their day-by-day experiences.
“This study abroad program was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. We just didn’t just learn about sports management in a classroom, we experienced the culture firsthand,” said sport analytics major Jeremy Shatzer ’28.
Story by Margie Chetney
