Mastering the business of MBAs
By Liang Yiwen |
June 26, 2012, Tuesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
INCREASING numbers of expat students are applying for places on Chinese Master of Business Administration programs, as more multinational companies adopt China-focused strategies.
Many local business schools report a sharp rise in the number of foreign applicants for MBA degree programs and exchange programs in recent years, coinciding with the rise of Chinese economy and the improvement of business school education quality.
Some overseas students are attracted by the strong Chinese economy, while others are already high-ranking staff in local offices of multinationals.
Shanghai International Studies University's MBA Center, which specializes in English courses, saw a 400 percent increase in the number of foreign student for its 2012 programs.
"Many firms plan to launch branch offices in China," said Cheng Chao, an official in charge of admission at the center. "Shanghai, as an international economic hub, is their first choice."
The Shanghai government has set an ambitious target for foreign investment of at least US$10 billion a year between now and 2015. It forecasts that 150 multinational companies will locate new regional headquarters in the city, adding to the 370 already here.
Compared with Western MBA courses, local programs can provide students with a deeper understanding of the Chinese market and more useful resources for their future development, according to the school.
Other business schools have also seen similar increases in recent years.
Shanghai Jiao Tong University's Antai College of Economics and Management reported a 20 percent increase in applicants from overseas.
Shanghai Advanced Institute of Finance (SAIF), a government-backed school, reported a 100 percent increase in foreign students.
Meanwhile, the number of overseas students attending the exchange program at the institute nearly doubled this year.
"A lot of multinationals are laying off staff in their European offices but adding new staff in their Chinese office," said Wang Huanhuan, the International Affairs officer with the SAIF.
There are more opportunities in China compared with some developed countries, so many people come to the country hoping for a better career path, she added.
Fudan University's School of Management saw Chinese applicants with overseas study experience rise 30 percent this year.
"The program will help the overseas returnees develop in the country by helping them gain rich knowledge of the Chinese market and build high-quality network connections," said Sun Long, association director of Fudan MBA program.
Business schools in China have expanded rapidly in the past two decades, coinciding with the economy's strong growth.
In 1991, the Ministry of Education approved nine universities to pilot MBA education programs. At the time, it was said that most Chinese couldn't tell the difference between MBA and NBA (National Basketball Association).
But the growing need for professional managers in firms and high returns have increased the number of applicants to these MBA programs by 20 percent annually in the past few years.
Local business school MBA courses are becoming a popular training center for the large number of managing professionals needed by the country.
Chinese business schools have also made reforms to their admissions system to bring them closer to international standards, which benefit many overseas applicants.
The quality of education on offer at domestic business schools has also improved greatly, making them a more attractive option to overseas students.
"I had decided to study for my MBA in a foreign country. China is the fastest growing market in the world and one of the most interesting programs was the International MBA program at Jiao Tong University. I knew that this is a very famous university all over the world. The program has all the accreditations I need and a mixture of international and local professors. The Antai College program is exactly what I expected. The lectures are high in quality and the courses international standard. After a year of studying I can really say that I have learned a lot. It was one of my best decisions to go to China."
"As one of the top business schools in Shanghai, SAIF has provided me the opportunity not only to learn more about the markets in China and cutting-edge finance concepts from top professors, but more importantly to make local friends bound to be industry experts in the near future. As China increasingly opens its capital markets to the world, so have I progressively opened my mind and heart to what the program has to offer in terms of knowledge, connections and life-long friendships."
"The strong focus on finance offered by SAIF meets my choice from a professional point of view. Chinese mainland is the most promising market of the future, and I am convinced that learning from an impressive faculty and cooperating, working and making friends with Chinese professionals will make SAIF a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me."
"I come from France and I'm here in SISU, in China, in Shanghai, for an exchange program between my business school friends and SISU MBA. I came to China because I was attracted by the new culture and huge country to discover, and also because China is becoming a huge economy. So it's a really great opportunity to be here, to study in SISU with all our classmates. I've been very well integrated in the MBA and in the class. For example, I was very glad to be a part of the SISU MBA basketball team, and of course, extremely glad that we won the championship. It was a great moment to gather with the class."
Many local business schools report a sharp rise in the number of foreign applicants for MBA degree programs and exchange programs in recent years, coinciding with the rise of Chinese economy and the improvement of business school education quality.
Some overseas students are attracted by the strong Chinese economy, while others are already high-ranking staff in local offices of multinationals.
Shanghai International Studies University's MBA Center, which specializes in English courses, saw a 400 percent increase in the number of foreign student for its 2012 programs.
"Many firms plan to launch branch offices in China," said Cheng Chao, an official in charge of admission at the center. "Shanghai, as an international economic hub, is their first choice."
The Shanghai government has set an ambitious target for foreign investment of at least US$10 billion a year between now and 2015. It forecasts that 150 multinational companies will locate new regional headquarters in the city, adding to the 370 already here.
Compared with Western MBA courses, local programs can provide students with a deeper understanding of the Chinese market and more useful resources for their future development, according to the school.
Other business schools have also seen similar increases in recent years.
Shanghai Jiao Tong University's Antai College of Economics and Management reported a 20 percent increase in applicants from overseas.
Shanghai Advanced Institute of Finance (SAIF), a government-backed school, reported a 100 percent increase in foreign students.
Meanwhile, the number of overseas students attending the exchange program at the institute nearly doubled this year.
"A lot of multinationals are laying off staff in their European offices but adding new staff in their Chinese office," said Wang Huanhuan, the International Affairs officer with the SAIF.
There are more opportunities in China compared with some developed countries, so many people come to the country hoping for a better career path, she added.
Fudan University's School of Management saw Chinese applicants with overseas study experience rise 30 percent this year.
"The program will help the overseas returnees develop in the country by helping them gain rich knowledge of the Chinese market and build high-quality network connections," said Sun Long, association director of Fudan MBA program.
Business schools in China have expanded rapidly in the past two decades, coinciding with the economy's strong growth.
In 1991, the Ministry of Education approved nine universities to pilot MBA education programs. At the time, it was said that most Chinese couldn't tell the difference between MBA and NBA (National Basketball Association).
But the growing need for professional managers in firms and high returns have increased the number of applicants to these MBA programs by 20 percent annually in the past few years.
Local business school MBA courses are becoming a popular training center for the large number of managing professionals needed by the country.
Chinese business schools have also made reforms to their admissions system to bring them closer to international standards, which benefit many overseas applicants.
The quality of education on offer at domestic business schools has also improved greatly, making them a more attractive option to overseas students.
"I had decided to study for my MBA in a foreign country. China is the fastest growing market in the world and one of the most interesting programs was the International MBA program at Jiao Tong University. I knew that this is a very famous university all over the world. The program has all the accreditations I need and a mixture of international and local professors. The Antai College program is exactly what I expected. The lectures are high in quality and the courses international standard. After a year of studying I can really say that I have learned a lot. It was one of my best decisions to go to China."
"As one of the top business schools in Shanghai, SAIF has provided me the opportunity not only to learn more about the markets in China and cutting-edge finance concepts from top professors, but more importantly to make local friends bound to be industry experts in the near future. As China increasingly opens its capital markets to the world, so have I progressively opened my mind and heart to what the program has to offer in terms of knowledge, connections and life-long friendships."
"The strong focus on finance offered by SAIF meets my choice from a professional point of view. Chinese mainland is the most promising market of the future, and I am convinced that learning from an impressive faculty and cooperating, working and making friends with Chinese professionals will make SAIF a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me."
"I come from France and I'm here in SISU, in China, in Shanghai, for an exchange program between my business school friends and SISU MBA. I came to China because I was attracted by the new culture and huge country to discover, and also because China is becoming a huge economy. So it's a really great opportunity to be here, to study in SISU with all our classmates. I've been very well integrated in the MBA and in the class. For example, I was very glad to be a part of the SISU MBA basketball team, and of course, extremely glad that we won the championship. It was a great moment to gather with the class."
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