the.world.is.flat-第53章
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me have learned a lot from Americans。 We have learned to become a little more
aggressive in the way we market ourselves； which is something we would not have done
given our typical British background。〃
So what is your overall message？ I asked Rajesh； before leaving with my head spinning。
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〃My message is that what's happening now is just the tip of the iceberg 。 。 。 What
is really necessary is for everybody to wake up to the fact that there is a fundamental
shift that is happening in the way people are going to do business。 And everyone is
going to have to improve themselves and be able to compete。 It is just going to be
one global market。 Look； we just made ＇baseball＇ caps for Dhruva to give away。 They
came from Sri Lanka。〃
Not from a factory in South Bangalore？ I asked。
〃Not from South Bangalore；〃 said Rajesh； 〃even though Bangalore is one of the export
hubs for garments。 Among the three or four caps we got quotations for； this ＇Sri Lankan
one＇ was the best in terms of quality and the right price； and we thought the finish
was great。
〃This is the situation you are going to see moving forward；〃 Rajesh concluded。 〃If
you are seeing all this energy coming out of Indians； it's because we have been
underdogs and we have that drive to kind of achieve and to get there 。 。 。 India is
going to be a superpower and we are going to rule。〃
Rule whom？ I asked。
Rajesh laughed at his own choice of words。 〃It's not about ruling anybody。 That's
the point。 There is nobody to rule anymore。 It's about how you can create a great
opportunity for yourself and hold on to that or keep creating new opportunities where
you can thrive。 I think today that rule is about efficiency； it's about collaboration
and it is about competitiveness and it is about being a player。 It is about staying
sharp and being in the game 。 。 。 The world is a football field now and you've got
to be sharp to be on the team which plays on that field。 If you're not good enough；
you're going to be sitting and watching the game。 That's all。〃
How Do You Say 〃Zippie〃 in Chinese？
As in Bangalore ten years ago； the best place to meet zippies in Beijing today is
in the line at the consular section of the U。S。 embassy。 In Beijing in the summer
of 2004； I discovered that the quest by Chinese
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students for visas to study or work in America was so intense that it had spawned
dedicated Internet chat rooms； where Chinese students swapped stories about which
arguments worked best with which U。S。 embassy consular officials。 They even gave the
U。S。 diplomats names like 〃Amazon Goddess；〃 〃Too Tall Baldy；〃 and 〃Handsome Guy。〃
Just how intensely Chinese students strategize over the Internet was revealed； U。S。
embassy officials told me； when one day a rookie U。S。 consular official had student
after student come before him with the same line that some chat room had suggested
would work for getting a visa： 〃I want to go to America to become a famous professor。〃
After hearing this all day； the U。S。 official was suddenly surprised toget one student
who came before him and pronounced； 〃My mother has an artificial limb and I want to
go to America to learn how to build a better artificial limb for her。〃 The official
was so relieved to hear a new line that he told the young man； 〃You know； this is
the best story I've heard all day。 I really salute you。 I'm going to give you a visa。〃
You guessed it。
The next day； a bunch of students showed up at the embassy saying they wanted a visa
to go to America to learn how to build better artificial limbs for their mothers。
Talking to these U。S。 embassy officials in Beijing； who are the gatekeepers for these
visas； itquickly became apparentto me that they had mixed feelings aboutthe process。
On the one hand； they were pleased that so many Chinese wanted to come study and work
in America。 On the other hand； they wanted to warn American kids： Do you realize what
is coming your way？ As one U。S。 embassy official in Beijing said to me； 〃What I see
happening ＇in China＇ is what has been going on for the last several decades in the
rest of Asia…the tech booms； the tremendous energy of the people。 I saw it elsewhere；
but now it is happening here。〃
I was visiting Yale in the spring of 2004。 As I was strolling through the central
quad； near the statue of Elihu Yale； two Chinese…speaking tours came through； with
Chinese tourists of all ages。 Chinese have started to tour the world in large numbers；
and as China continues to develop toward a more open society； it is quite likely that
Chinese leisure tourists will alter the whole world…tourism industry。
But Chinese are not visiting Yale just to admire the ivy。 Consider these statistics
from Yale's admissions office。 The fall 1985 class had 71 graduate and undergraduate
students from China and 1 from the Soviet Union。 The fall 2003 class had 297 Chinese
graduate and undergraduate students and 23 Russians。 Yale's total international
student contingent went from 836 in the fall of 1985 to 1；775 in the fall of 2003。
Applications from Chinese and Russian high school students to attend Yale as
undergraduates have gone from a total of 40 Chinese for the class of 2001 to 276 for
the class of 2008； and 18 Russians for the class of 2001 to 30 for the class of 2008。
In 1999； Yiting Liu； a schoolgirl from Chengdu； China； got accepted to Harvard on
a full scholarship。 Her parents then wrote a build…your…own handbook about how they
managed to prepare their daughter to get accepted to Harvard。 The book； in Chinese；
titled Harvard Girl Yiting Liu； offered 〃scientifically proven methods〃 to get your
Chinese kid into Harvard。 The book became a runaway best seller in China。 By 2003
it had sold some 3 million copies and spawned more than a dozen copycat books about
how to get your kid into Columbia； Oxford； or Cambridge。
While many Chinese aspire to go to Harvard and Yale； they aren't just waiting around
to get into an American university。 They are also trying to build their own at home。
In 2004；1 was a speaker for the 150th anniversary of Washington University in St。
Louis； a school noted for its strength in science and engineering。 Mark Wrighton；
the university's thoughtful chancellor； and I were chatting before the ceremony。 He
mentioned in passing that in the spring of 2001 he had been invited （along with many
other foreign and American academic leaders） to Tsinghua University in Beijing； one
of the finest in China； to participate in the celebration of its ninetieth anniversary。
He said the invitation left him scratching his head at first： Why would any university
celebrate its ninetieth anniversary…not its hundredth？
〃Perhaps a Chinese tradition？〃 Wrighton asked himself。 When he arrived at Tsinghua；
though； he learned the answer。 The Chinese had brought academics from all over the
world to Tsinghua…more than ten thousand people attended the ceremony…in order to
make the declaration 〃that at the one hundredth anniversary Tsinghua University would
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be among the world's premier universities；〃 Wrighton later explained to me in an
e…mail。 〃The event involved all of the leaders of the Chinese government； from the
Mayor of Beijing tothe head of state。 Each expressed the conviction that an investment
in the university to support its development as one of the world's great universities
within ten years would be a rewarding one。 With Tsinghua University already regarded
as one of the leading universities in China； focused on science and technology； it
was evident that there is a seriousness of purpose in striving for a world leadership
position in ＇all the areas involved＇ in spawning technological innovation。〃
And as a result of China's drive to succeed； Microsoft chairman Bill Gates argued
to me； the 〃ovarian lottery〃 has changed…as has the whole relationship between
geography and talent。 Thirty years ago； he said； if you had a choice between being
born a genius on the outskirts of Bombay or Shanghai or being born an average person
in Poughkeepsie； you would take Poughkeepsie； because your chances of thriving and
living a decent life there；
