Global Reach
Dean Jay Hartzell establishes new bonds with alumni and friends in Asia
On his inaugural trip to Asia as dean of Texas McCombs, Jay Hartzell met with more than 350 UT alumni, parents, students, and friends in five cities and four countries this summer. A delegation of university leaders, led by President Greg Fenves and Provost Maurie McInnis, convened some of the largest alumni gatherings ever held outside of the United States. “If you think burnt-orange pride is thriving in Texas, you should experience the enthusiasm I saw among our alumni in Asia,” reports Hartzell.
After covering 20,000 miles, the delegation left Asia feeling energized about the global reach of Texas McCombs and the many opportunities for future partnership. Jennifer Wang, UT’s director of development for international advancement, kept a diary of the trip’s highlights.
Saturday, June 16, 2018 — Tokyo
To kick off the week in Asia, we had a wonderful Tokyo welcome from Dave and Lisa Dickson, both BBA ’83, who hosted the UT Alumni Reception at the Tokyo American Club. More than 45 alumni joined for the first-ever alumni gathering with UT leadership in Japan.
Sunday, June 17, 2018 — Seoul
You wouldn’t expect to find Tex-Mex in Korea, but we had the opportunity to try Seoul’s first Korean-Mexican fusion restaurant, Vatos Urban Tacos, co-founded by Korean-American and San Antonio native Jonathan Kim, BA ’06.
Monday, June 18, 2018 — Seoul
Ja-Kyun Koo, Ph.D. finance ’90, hosted us for lunch on the top floor of Lotte World Tower, South Korea’s tallest building and the fifth-highest in the world. Afterward, the UT Korean Alumni Association and its president Sam Chi, BBA ’92, MPA ’93, hosted a Texas Edge event featuring Hartzell and Clay Johnston, dean of Dell Medical School, who spoke about health care and business innovation.
Tuesday, June 19, 2018 — Beijing
After a day of meetings with alumni and the American Chamber of Commerce China, Hartzell reunited with his former Ph.D. classmate Dr. Changneng Xuan, Ph.D. ’97, who recently was appointed deputy director of China’s Foreign Exchange Bureau. The evening concluded with an event at Tsinghua University and dinner at the Summer Palace with distinguished alumni and friends in the energy sector.
Wednesday, June 20, 2018 — Beijing
Before heading to Hong Kong, Hartzell caught up with investor and entrepreneur Jin Huang, MBA ’00.
Thursday, June 21, 2018 — Hong Kong
Hartzell had numerous meetings with McCombs alumni and partners. Highlights included visiting the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology campus, and meeting nearly 90 alumni and friends during the evening reception.
Friday, June 22, 2018 — Singapore
We visited the National University of Singapore Enterprise and rendezvoused with Houston-based Andrew Vo, BBA ’95, Accenture’s recently appointed HR managing director lead for Asia Pacific, Africa, and the Middle East. Our final event, Texas Edge Singapore, was sponsored by Jumbo Group and featured former UT swimmer and Singapore’s sole Olympic gold medalist, Joseph Schooling.
Saturday, June23, 2018 — Singapore
We wrapped up our time in Asia with the third meeting of the International Board of Advisors — and its first meeting abroad.
