It is somewhat surprising to see an article still asking this question, however, the professor in the article touches on something important--the mercenary aspect of wanting to learn about a new culture and its language(s) will always find itself better served when one is doing business less as a foreign entity.

Link said that about 80 percent of the application essays for the Princeton-in-Beijing program, which he directs, indicate that students are interested in China's booming economy and business opportunities.

"That's a bit disappointing," he said, "because there are so many other very good reasons, like history and food and art and poetry and the people." But some students whose "original attractions [are] often mercenary do learn about the culture as well," he said.

Link's focus is on Chinese language and culture, and he aims to impart his passion to even the most business-centric students. "Do I try to pull students in a certain direction? Yes," he said. "I try to pull them deeper into the culture and study of the language but not away from being a banker if that's what they want."

But, he said, "a diplomat who knows something about [the culture] of China and a journalist in Beijing are going to be a better diplomat or journalist than someone who doesn't."