Business

Education Special: HKU-Fudan international MBA: Global managers with China focus

By Zhuan Ti (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-11-16 07:55

China's increasingly vital role in the global economy is generating huge demand for first-rate business managers with a global vision and China focus.

That is exactly what the University of Hong Kong (HKU) and Fudan University in Shanghai promise to deliver at their joint business education program.

"China's rising status as the greatest contributor to global economic growth and its participation in the WTO and other global trade agreements stimulate increasing demand for executives who understand China, the Asia-Pacific region and the world," said Gary Biddle, dean of the Faculty of Business and Economics, HKU.

"As a result, it is crucial for Chinese business leaders to complement their expert regional knowledge and experience with insights into international business environments and practices, as China becomes more and more globalized," he said.

Founded a decade ago

A decade ago, HKU's Faculty of Business and Economics and Fudan University's School of Management saw the need for premier global management education in China when they launched their international master's in business administration (IMBA) program.

The program is now rated the best of its kind by China's Ministry of Education. It has conferred IMBA degrees to more than 2,000 graduates.

"We are deeply committed to excellence in teaching as well as educational and technological innovation," said Lu Weiwen, dean of the School of Management, Fudan University.

"Our mission is to nurture business professionals with a global perspective and a deeper understanding of cutting-edge business practices."

By combining HKU's experience in management education with Fudan University's rich history, culture and expertise in the Chinese economy, the program merges the strengths of two top universities.

Strategic overview

After completing the program, candidates are expected have a strategic overview and to analyze the complex and interrelated demands of management. As well, they will understand how to balance the interests of shareholders with local needs and the global economy.

Lu Gang, one of this year's graduates, said that "the outcome of this entire program to me is not only the knowledge or skill, but also the friendships and expanded personal network".

"Through the program we have been able to sharpen our eyes to see the world differently in a deeper and broader view. The keys to successful completion of this program are not only the great lectures from professors, but also the intensive case studies, hot discussions and team projects among all the classmates."

Shen Yan, another alumna, said she obtained not only "improvement in academic level and promotion in my job," but also a "global view, wise strategies and the great breadth of mind".

"Thankfully, I have learned not only the knowledge but also the thinking model. Standing on the shoulders of giants, I will benefit from what I have learned all my life," she said.

Program candidates register as students at the University of Hong Kong and complete all their class hours at Fudan University.

All students in the IMBA Program also have an opportunity to take a seven-day study tour in Hong Kong. During the residency, visits to well-known corporations and research institutes, informal discussions with HKU professors and alumni are included.

The program was one of the first joint programs approved by the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council in 1998.

Total length of the course is two years, bringing together top-notch faculties from both universities. Course materials used in the program, including textbooks, cases and readings, are all at international levels.

Business experts note the value of attending business schools both in Hong Kong and on the mainland, with more MBA students opting to study in China rather the United States or Europe.