Asia experience: Inside where change happens
The Rochester-Bern EMBA program includes an Asia Experience module, reflecting the program’s design to stay connected to real-world business developments. For several years, the module focused on China, and then South Korea. Since last year, however, it has taken place in India. (👉One Week in India’s Silicon Valley) .
Asia is a region of enormous and growing global importance. Part of this importance is demographic. India and China are the two most populous countries in the world, with populations of almost 1.5 billion people each. Both countries are also among the largest global economies with significant growth potential.
China is a prime example of this: once seen as the world’s factory, it has become a leader in technology, competing with the United States in strategic fields such as artificial intelligence.[1] Meanwhile, China’s economic growth has transformed the country into a major consumer market. Chinese demand now influences the performance of global companies across industries.[2]
South Korea also stands out as one of the most innovation-driven economies in Asia. According to the SECO, the country has a highly developed innovation ecosystem and spends 5% of its GDP on R&D (ranking second among OECD economies). It also ranks sixth in the 2024 Global Innovation Index.
India is another example. It graduates more English-speaking STEM professionals than any other country, making it a central player in the global talent market. Additionally, the Indian diaspora has grown to become the largest in the world and is becoming more and more prominent. Twenty-five S&P 500 CEOs were born in India, and many others hold senior leadership positions in corporations worldwide.[3] Additionally, the founders of U.S. unicorns are more likely to be from India than any other country.[4] These global connections strengthen India’s business networks and promote its integration into global value chains. [5]
The numbers are equally remarkable at a regional level. From the early 2000s to the early 2020s, Asia accounted for more than half of global goods trade and nearly 60 percent of overall trade growth.[6] In 2024, the region also reached a historic milestone. The number of people classified as consumers now exceeds the number of people living in poverty.[7]
During the last ten years, the region has driven over half of worldwide growth in technology-sector revenues and R&D investment, and almost nine out of ten patents worldwide were filed in Asia.[8]
Looking ahead, Asia’s importance is expected to grow even more. The International Monetary Fund expects Asia to account for approximately 60 percent of global economic growth in 2025–2026. Despite geopolitical tensions and uncertainty in trade policies, Asia remains the main driver of global growth.[9] It is projected that by 2040, it will generate more than 40 percent of the world’s GDP, account for six out of ten Fortune Global 500 companies, and employ approximately 55 percent of the global workforce.[10]
The global business landscape has been shifting eastward for some time, and this trend shows no signs of stopping. The Asia Experience reflects the program’s values: #changethewayyouthink by engaging where change happens.
Sources:
[1] Joo-Seuk Maing, Geopolitics & Leadership in the Context of Rising Asia, Cutter, Amplify, Vol. 36, 2023 (hereinafter: Joo-Seuk Maing, 2023).
[2] Joo-Seuk Maing, 2023.
[3] B. Chakravorti and G. Dalmia, 2023.
[4] B. Chakravorti and G. Dalmia, 2023.
[5] B. Chakravorti and G. Dalmia, 2023.
[6] Gautam Kumra and Yuito Yamada, Asia’s emerging business corridors: New highways to growth, McKinsey & Company, January 2025 (hereinafter: G. Kumra and Y. Yamada, 2025).
[7] G. Kumra and Y. Yamada, 2025.
[8] G. Kumra and Y. Yamada, 2025.
[9] Andrea Pescatori, Krishna Srinivasan, Asia’s Economic Growth Is Weathering Tariffs and Uncertainty, IMF Blog, October 16th, 2025.
[10] Gautam Kumra and Semyon Yakovlev, The rise of Asian global players, McKinsey & Company, Article appeared in Bloomberg in January 2025. Note: These figures date from before shifts in U.S. trade policy during 2025.