Bulletin Issue May 2011
城大商學院
College of Business
A Key Business Education Hub – in China for the World
CB unveils “3-Track” system for BBA College Based Admission Fast Track places available from September 2011 CB has announced a new “3-Track” system for the 4-year BBA college-based admission system. Speaking to Sing Tao Daily, Dean K K Wei said that from 2012 under the default 4-year Track, students will complete core courses in the first three semesters, including General Education courses and cross-disciplinary learning, before choosing their major from a wide range of choices such as Finance, Accounting, Human Resources Management, etc. The minimum programme requirements on the 4-year Track will be 120 credit units. There are also two further tracks available: “4 minus 1” Track (around 96 credits). HKALE students or equivalent can be admitted under this 3-year Track. These students will receive exemption from some GE courses and electives. “4 minus 2” Fast Track (around 66 credits). Students with an Associate Degree in Business or high achieving Higher Diploma degree students, could be exempted from the first two years of the BBA degree, and go directly to the third year of the programme. There will be a total of 266 places for these students in September this year.
CB shoots up global research rankings The College of Business has shot up the UT Dallas rankings, and now stands at 77, an improvement of 13 places on last year - based on our research contributions from 2006-2010. The Dean thanks all participating faculty for helping to make this happen.
Glittering “Thank you” reception held for Ms Jenny Chan A packed thank you reception was held for Ms Jenny Chan on Wednesday 30th March at the City Top. The reception was hosted by President Prof Way Kuo, along with Prof Arthur Ellis, Provost; Prof Roderick Wong, VP(DE); Prof Gregory B Raupp, VP(RT); Prof Paul Lam, VP(SA); Mr Gabriel Chan, Chief Administrative Officer; Prof Julia Tao, Chief-of-Staff; and Prof K K Wei, Dean (CB). The event included an Unveiling Ceremony by the Guest of Honour, accompanied by President and CB Dean to signify the naming of the College Studio after Ms Jenny Chan’s late father as ‘Chan Hok Yan Multimedia Studio.’ In her remarks Jenny said that her father belonged to a generation who hadn’t had (From left) President Kuo, Ms Jenny Chan and Dean Wei so many opportunities to study, and that he - educated as a self-study accountant - would have been proud that she had completed the EMBA at CityU. The strength of alumni links was evident as Jenny was reunited with many of her fellow students from the EMBA programme. (From left) Flex, Kunal and Eric
AAPBS Conference sparks debate on role of Asian Business Schools The Association of Asia-Pacific Business Schools Conference “Nurturing Global Business Leaders in Asia for the World” has sparked wide-ranging debate on the role of Asian business schools. The conference, hosted by the College of Business on 12-13 May, addressed several issues of immediate concern to leading business schools: What does “going global” mean to Asian business schools? What kind of business graduates is industry looking for? Is the “traditional” MBA curriculum relevant? What is the meaning of innovation and entrepreneurship ─ and can business schools nurture these qualities?
The conference was attended by leading academics from around the region and worldwide, and featured several panel discussions and fruitful exchanges with the audience. A picture emerged of Asian economic ascendancy, but also one where our business schools tend to look to Europe and America first for partnerships. The mission of Asian business schools was discussed. Are our schools in any way differentiated from the global pack? How are elements such as “social mission,” ethics, and sustainability integrated in the curriculum? Participants also questioned the usefulness of offering curricula top heavy on quantitative skills. Were MBA graduates with this sort of background indeed to blame for the recent financial crisis? Should more emphasis be placed on the teaching of soft skills, communication and context? The typical research agenda came under the spotlight: Is research merely becoming a “signalling mechanism”, to elevate schools from the global pack in the hope of attracting better students? Do we need to critically re-examine the nature of research to check that it has a wider use for society? On one thing everyone was agreed - that change is a constant. And that business schools will have therefore to prioritise curriculum renewal in order to remain credible with upcoming generations. It was also agreed that the future lies in closer cooperation amongst our various business schools. Without question the conference succeeded in advancing the debate.
Teaching and Research Excellence Award Schemes established Two College award schemes for teaching and research were established in March, both made possible by the generous donation of our EMBA alumni Ms Jenny Chan. The Teaching Award Scheme aims to recognize teachers in the College of Business who demonstrate excellence in educating our next generation of business leaders. The Research Excellence Award has been established to reward overall research excellence and important research achievements, and research that has significant impact on society, industry and knowledge advancement. The award is also intended to publicize research excellence in the College of Business, inside the University, and to the wider community, and to promote a culture of pursuing high quality research amongst faculty.
Official opening of CityU Shenzhen Research Institute Building (SRIB) CityU SRIB was officially opened at a ceremony on 20 January. The institute will be a permanent base for applied research, incubation and professional education on the mainland. President Kuo said the model for incubating new technology companies developed by CityU SRIB will help CityU promote the advancement of technology and industry in both Shenzhen and Hong Kong. CB’s Centre for Advanced Business Research and Executive Education (Shenzhen) is located in SRIB, and is well equipped to host cutting edge executive education. It is intended that the Centre will be used as a focal point for the College’s activities in Guangdong Province.
Center for Transport, Trade and Financial Studies (CTTFS) Executive Training Programme for HNA Group The “CityU-HNA HPT Executive Education Programme 2011” is being offered to HNA Group from April to June 2011. 20 Managers from HNA are attending the programme on-campus at the City University Kowloon campus. The programme features seminars/discussions, corporate visits, networking with business leaders and DBA/ EMBA students/alumni.
CTTFS has been established as an innovation driver for education and research in transport, trade, and financial studies relevant to maritime transportation. These include supply chain management, logistics, and financial and insurance services. CTTFS is intended to be a dynamic platform where students, faculty, and industry leaders exchange, acquire and advance their knowledge and experience in transport, trade and financial studies. CTTFS Director, Prof John J. Liu, is an internationally renowned academic specializing in port and transport logistics.