Experiencing a once in a lifetime trip overseas first hand is a great opportunity, but instantaneously sharing the images and stories from that trip with thousands of others is the idea behind a new student blog site.

Jake Oyler, a graduate student in West Virginia Universitys College of Business and Economics masters of business administration program, is hosting the blog as he travels throughout China this month.

Oyler is part of a group of 30 WVU students studying abroad through mid June as part of a five-week international business class. During the trip he plans to use his laptop to post photos, videos and diary entries about the trip for family and friends to read over the internet back home.

I think the basis of the idea of the blog is for the familiesso they know what each student is doing while on the trip. The pictures are what people will probably enjoy the most, but I still want them to know what we are doing each day. I plan to post a basic description of the days events so when they check the blog the next morning, everyone back home will know what we were up to the day before.

But sharing the trip highlights with family members is not the only objective. He feels it can also highlight the study abroad program and reach faculty, alumni and prospective students.

I also hope the faculty and alumni will be interested in seeing what the class is up to and will be proud of what their students are doing,he said.I think its also got some potential as a marketing tool for the College to show prospective students what they might be able to participate in. It would be easier to get excited about the trip if future students can see and experience some of the other things that our class gets to see. This is an opportunity to show off the program and bring it to life.

The idea to share the daily events from the annual China trip started in rough form two years ago when College of Business and Economics Professor Graham Peace sent a daily e-mail to some of the Colleges faculty and students. Those efforts were continued by Bonnie Anderson, associate director of graduate programs, during the 2006 trip, but as interest in the daily reports grew, so did the e-mail list, which quickly became unmanageable.

When thinking about the trip this year, Oyler had the idea to develop a blog site that would permit anyone with Internet access the ability to see the photos and entries and to participate in two-way communication by posting their own reactions.

Id really like people to leave their comments on the site,Oyler said.Thats what so great abut a blogthe interactive aspect. Anyone in the world can sign on and post a comment to tell us what they think, send greetings to a student on the trip or maybe recommend a museum or restaurant for us.

Depending on the ability and speed to upload materials to the site, Oyler hopes to maximize the media content and provide more than just photos.

I hope to use some video. I have this image in my mind of Chinese alumni and all of us singing �€~Country Roads.One day were doing it and the next day its on the blog. I think it would be a really good image for everyone to see that relationship.

Prior to leaving for China the group of students spent several intensive weeks studying retail operations within the U.S. and summarizing their findings. The highlight of the trip will be a presentation of that information to Chinese business leaders and MBA students.

The class will also have an opportunity to learn about retail operations in Chinaincluding a trip to a big-box retailer operation that recently opened in the country. The final portion of the class will come when the students return to prepare a comparative analysis and report on what theyve learned during the course.

College of Business and Economics alumni that live and work in China help prepare the itinerary and trip highlights for the group. Anderson said that the special connections WVU alumni have in the country permit the students to see aspects most tourists may not be able to visit.

Given the relationship our faculty has established with Chinese officials over the years and the number of Chinese executives who have gone through WVU ’s programs, our students are able to visit government building and agencies normally off limits to visitors,Anderson said.When I traveled with the students last year, I was astounded at the Chinese hospitality.Every place we visited had some type of welcome message displayed specifically for our group.

Although centered on educational enrichment, the trip also provides an opportunity for sightseeing and experiencing the culture of China. The group will spend six days in Shanghai, three days in Xian and four days in Beijing and visit historical sites such as Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and the Great Wall.

Its a lifetime experience to see the rich history of China,Oyler said.One of the highlights I am looking forward to is visiting the Terra Cotta Warriors. I am also interested in seeing the balance and the modern side of the country. The cities are very advanced in transportation and technology.

Oylers blog can be found online at:http://wvuinchina.blogspot.com