Welcome to the MBS China Centre quarterly newsletter!

Reviewing events and activities that our Centre has organized in this period, I feel so proud of our China team.  Right after the Chinese New Year, Phil Roebuck, executive director of the BritCham, a native Mancunian delivered a wonderful talk on the city of Manchester which also launched Manchester photo competition- one of the series celebrations of MBS’ 50^th anniversary. We are also honored to have Mr. Chris Lu, government director of Diageo and Dr. Rick Xu, senior executive coach shared their insights via our GEMBA thought Leaders’ talk.

During this period, PMO, IBS, VCPE, SM, NSSS workshops were delivered in China Centre throughout April. We’d like to thank Prof. Martin Corbett, Paul Taaffe, Malcolm Smith to deliver workshop tasters for our prospective students. GEMBA residential workshop was also successfully held in Dubai Centre in Mar. This was actually my 3rd time visiting Dubai, but I was still strongly impressed by the city’s dynamics, cultural diversity, fast growth and their leaders’ vision and strategy. GEMBA+ activities were fantastic- thanks to our Dubai Centre team for their great work to make such an unforgettable experience for our GEMBA delegates!

In April, ‘overseas Chinese corporate reputation report’ launch and China symposium at Columbia University and Harvard University attracted over 400 audiences in New York and Boston, over 1000 media in US and China reported and reposted the event. Interestingly, I talked “one road, one belt” and at my presentation on ‘China opportunities’, when I back to Shanghai, I was invited to bring our global MBA students join the live TV show “brain storm” on the topic of the innovation for new silk road-one road and one belt. It was such a great experience for students and I just want to keep the visit to the financial TV show as our regular students’ event! It is not only about media exposure; it also brings very latest business knowledge to students and enhances their capability of public speaking with confidence.

Its approaching semester end - exams are just over and now you can finally look forward to a well-earned summer holiday!

Sherry Fu

sherry.fu@mbs.ac.uk

On 21^st April, MBS China Centre warmly welcomed The University of Manchester QA team leading by Vice Dean of UoM, Professor Kersti Börjars. This is the second time China Centre has the honour to host QA team in China. The purpose of the visit is to evaluate the Tongji-MBS MBA programme in Great China, acquire feedbacks from both Tongji and MBS China Centre regarding the dual degree programme and seeks ways to improve it.

Sherry Fu, MBS China Centre Director gave the QA team a tour in China Centre and introduced Centre’s development and achievements since its establishment in 2008. The QA team joined a MBA workshop, talked to students in the class for their feedbacks about the Global programme, they were really impressed by how the Manchester teaching method “Learning by Doing” was adopted by China Centre students.

The next following two days, the QA team visited Tongji University accompanied by Sherry and Dr. Xun Jiyao, Associate MBA Director. The team was warmly welcomed by colleagues from Economics and Management College of Tongji University including Dean Huo Jiazhen, Professor Shi Qian, MBA Director Xu Guodong and Tongji-MBS MBA Director Dr. Xu Qing.

The QA team visited the newly established history museum of Economics and Management College in Tongji. Dean Huo Jiazhen and Dr. Xu Qing communicated with the QA team and MBS China Centre representatives and exchange the views regarding the future development of this programme. Both parties have great confidence in this programme and the cooperation, having a very optimistic expectation for its future. The QA team was ensured that with the excellent teaching facility from MBS and the support from local team, both the Global MBA programem and the Tongji-MBS MBA programme will maintain being popular to Chinese talents and contribute greatly to the Chinese higher education, MBS will bring more and more international business leaders in China market.

MBS is one of few institutions globally with triple accreditation from all three major MBA bodies: AACSB International, AMBA and EQUIS. The Financial Times 2015 Global MBA Ranking places MBS MBA programme at 5^th in the UK, 12^th in Europe and 35^th in the world, and its doctoral ranks 1^st in Europe and 3^rd in the world. MBS is ranked 9^th in the world for aims achieved with 84% of MBA alumni fulfilling their pre-MBA goals. MBS alumni also achieve a 92% average salary increase three years after graduation.

14th March 2015, MBS GEMBA student delegation arrived in Dubai and kicked off a 9 day residential workshop and study tour. As a global emerging market, and the major business hub in the world, Dubai’s rapid economic development, strong business competition and multicultural environment attract the attention of the whole world and would definitely help the students to expand their global vision and inspire their innovation thinking. The 9 days’ residential workshop combined with interactive, blended learning methods, including: face-to-face workshops, group work, practical assignments and hands-on projects with genuine clients, business simulations, webinars, case studies, and problem-based and computer-aided learning, which brings a global perspective for these senior businesspeople including director and partner level professionals, of 11 nationalities and residing in 10 countries, including five in China.

(The GEMBA student delegation visits UAE prime Mister’s office and photographs with the chairman of Emirates Competitive Council)

A welcomed reception was held at MBS Dubai Centre on the first day, Middle East Centre Director of MBS. Randa Bessiso delivered a welcomed speech and expressed her best wishes to students with a wonderful and fruitful study tour at Dubai in the following days. Dr. Ayoub Kazim, Managing Director of the Education Cluster of TECOM Investments was invited to the event and addressed an opening speech.

GEMBA+

In addition to the workshop, MBS is showcasing Dubai, the UAE’s global competitiveness credentials and introducing the group to high profile businesses and thought leaders in their fields through a range of extra-curricular experiences includes industry site visit, one to one career coaching and CEO panels etc.

As the highlight of this extra-curricular activity, the GEMBA student delegation visited prime minister’s office of UAE led by Dubai Centre director and was given a speech by Abdulla Nasser Lootah, Secretary General of Emirates Competitiveness Council （ECC）. Students learned a lot about the UAE’s success in creating a globally competitive economy, reflected in the World Economic Forum’s global competitiveness rankings and in the successful bid to host the World Expo 2020.

(GEMBA+ CEO panel discussion hosted at Dubai Capital Club)

20 March, the high level networking event of GEMBA+ was hosted at the Capital Club Dubai.  The CEO panel and roundtable discussion brought together senior business leaders from the UAE with MBS faculty, alumni and GEMBA students, to explore critical business issues. The panel discussed issues from leadership in a multicultural environment to business planning in an uncertain world and the advantages and disadvantages of taxation in the region.

Developed by MBS in the 1960s, the famous “Manchester Method” focuses on group work, practice-based learning and reflection. The school takes the students to some of the world’s business capitals, get them working in multinational groups on global business issues. The unique MBS Global Executive MBA programme is delivered across 4 different locations worldwide, with each course tailored to provide specific business insights and facilitate global connections. Due to Dubai’s unique business culture, the two core modules “Financial management& Business Simulation” (taught by Professor Bob Ryan and Professor Nick Collett), along with “Managing and Leading People in Organisations” (taught by Professor Mike Bresnen) are designed to deliver at Dubai specifically. Commenting on the course, Professor Mike Bresnen said: “Dubai is the meeting point of many cultures so organisations here have to be truly global in their approach to managing people. It’s the perfect place to explore the challenges of leading and managing in a multicultural environment.”

Under the supervision by MBS professors, GEMBA students successfully applied cutting edge business theories and analysis tools into practice and transforming to be a better business leader. The Global Executive MBA programme combines academic theory with practical tools which enables the students have a good performance on applying their learning into practical case-studies based on their own organisation’s business challenges.

From workshop to GEMBA+ activities, MBS’s characteristic of innovation and creativity reflects on every detailed arrangement. For example, at the GEMBA Dinner, with purple background, every table was named as a famous sightseeing place in Dubai such as Sailing hotel, palm jumeirah, alongside with hot business management topics for students to discuss. Students were very impressed by this spiritual feast. It is no doubt that the event brought an ideal platform for students to expand their global network and deepen the communication with excellent business leaders in Dubai.