Turning difference into opportunity

When Kun Yang was young, she imagined a very different future.

“When I was little, my dream was to be an artist or a businesswoman because we had a family business at home and I was supposed to be the one who took over my father’s business,” she said.

That plan changed as her academic path unfolded. She continued her studies, earned multiple graduate degrees, and eventually began teaching—almost by accident.

“The first time I taught was when I was a graduate student,” Yang said. “My professor was sick one time, so he asked me, ‘Kun, can you substitute for me for one class?’ I said sure.”

She prepared carefully. Then she walked into the classroom and discovered something unexpected.

“I enjoyed it so much,” she said. “I enjoyed interacting with students and helping them grasp key concepts. Cases and real-life examples often flush into my mind spontaneously, allowing me to simplify ideas and make lessons more engaging. Students seemed to understand it better and enjoy the learning process.”

That experience quietly set the direction for her career.

After graduating, Yang accepted a position as an assistant professor at a university in China, where she taught for several years. Later, she moved to the United States to pursue her Ph.D.—a transition that would reshape how she understood culture, business and the role of education itself.

Learning to live inside difference

Coming to the United States was more than a geographic shift. It changed how Yang saw the world.

“I was amazed by how different cultures can be,” she said. “Before, I viewed everything through the lens of my own culture. But after becoming an international student in the U.S., I began to appreciate not only the value of my own culture, but also the unique values that other cultures bring.”

Living in a new cultural environment shifted her perspective from judgment to curiosity.

“Before, I would ask, ‘Why do people do things this way?’” Yang said. “Now, I try to understand the reasons behind those differences, what makes them meaningful, and to put myself in others’ shoes.”

That transformation became foundational to her work in international business.

“It changed not only how I see others, but how I see myself,” she said. “I became more willing to step beyond what felt familiar. I learned to be brave to try new things, to experience different ways of living, and to visit places I might not have imagined before.”

Those experiences expanded her perspective—and ultimately shaped her purpose as an educator.

“This is my job to teach my future students about developing a global mindset,” Yang said, “and how to turn those differences—those institutional gaps across borders—into opportunities for companies to thrive in the global market.”

Today, Yang is a professor of management in Central Michigan University’s College of Business Administration. She teaches courses including MBA 660 Global Business and Sustainability, MGT 365 International Business, and MGT 565 Global Strategy.

Across her teaching and research, one theme appears again and again: adaptability.

From theory to reality

Yang’s research focuses on how organizations navigate complexity in the global marketplace.

“My previous research focused on how firms, entrepreneurs and immigrants—especially from emerging markets—succeed when they do business across national borders,” she said.

Companies operating internationally must navigate differences in regulations, institutions and market conditions.

“When they face different rules of the game—the laws, norms, ecosystems or market conditions that don’t match from place to place—my studies try to explain how firms turn these differences and gaps into strategies.”

More recently, Yang’s research has expanded to include sustainability and how multinational firms integrate environmental and social responsibility into business decisions.

“My study on sustainability tries to show how top management teams influence firms’ sustainability decision making,” she said. “How multinationals balance profits with environmental and social responsibility despite uneven standards worldwide.”

Rather than treating sustainability as a separate goal, Yang frames it as strategy.

“Sustainability is not just philanthropy or environmental protection,” she said. “It is a tool and a routine woven into a firm’s day-to-day operations so that it becomes part of how a company creates value and remains competitive in the long run.”

Students encounter these ideas directly in her classes through applied projects that connect research concepts to real business challenges.

“One way students encounter my research is through group projects,” Yang said. “I give them feedback and show them how to analyze the impact of sustainability performance on profits and economic performance.”

But Yang emphasizes that memorizing concepts is not the ultimate goal.

“The basic international business concepts matter,” she said, “but it’s not the most important thing.”

What matters more is learning how to connect ideas to real-world challenges and recognizing that differences across countries and cultures can be sources of opportunity.

Building a global mindset

Yang hopes students leave her classroom with more than technical knowledge. Her goal is to help them develop what she calls a global mindset—the ability to understand, navigate and use differences across cultures and institutions.

“There’s no right or wrong, good or bad, when it comes to national differences,” she said. “These differences are shaped by history, geography, culture and institutions.”

For Yang, developing that mindset follows a progression.

“First, respect. Second, embrace. Third, understand. Fourth, manage,” she said. “And turn those differences into opportunities.”

She pairs that philosophy with a broader understanding of sustainability—not just at the corporate level, but at the individual level as well.

“Sustainability could start from ourselves,” Yang said. “Everyone can make small differences and build habits. The more you do it, the more impact you can make—especially when you get into a position in a company.”

Preparing students for a changing world

What Yang values most about CMU is the people—especially the students.

“I really enjoy interacting with students,” she said. “Especially international students, because I can relate so much to my own experiences.”

Her approach to teaching extends beyond academic instruction.

“When I teach, I not only care about what students learn,” she said. “I also care about their well-being and their being as a human.”

That perspective becomes especially important when students face challenges outside the classroom.

“When I notice a student is struggling, whether due to family or personal issues, I step in to provide support,” Yang said. “I share my own experiences and work with the program director, CMU CARE Team and counselors to help students navigate those situations.”

For students still figuring out their path, Yang offers simple but reassuring advice.

“They are young, they have time,” she said. “Be you, keep trying and do not lose your courage when things don’t go as planned.”

In a workforce increasingly shaped by globalization and artificial intelligence, she believes mindset will matter more than memorized knowledge.

“Merely grasping knowledge is not super important in the future,” Yang said. “More important is the skill of learning, the skill of asking meaningful questions, the skill of coaching AI tools, and the skill of developing a global mindset.”

Years after students leave her classroom, that is what she hopes remains.

“Respect, understand, embrace and manage the differences,” Yang said. “And turn those differences into opportunities for innovation, collaboration and creating value in a global environment.”