Teaching philosophy
There is no one best way to
educate managers. Given the great variety of individual, organisational
and community needs which are evident around the world today, it would
seem unreasonable to limit business management education to one type of
provider, one program of course work or one structure of instructions.
Among the ingredients for effective business management education is the
great need for flexibility, initiative and creativity, and for being
proactive in addressing the diverse and changing needs of students.
The Chinese MBA aims to address the different learning needs of Asian and Chinese managers. It is an 18 month program consisting of 12 courses, incorporating subjects such as finance, management, strategic thinking, managerial research and consulting. Each course is two-and-a-half months in duration and consists of 24 hours of teaching seminars which are conducted intensively over an extended weekend at the locations where the Chinese MBA is offered. The program is delivered in Mandarin and all material and course work are in Chinese.
The Chinese MBA teaches a 'Western' business administration curriculum. Educators in the program are experienced in the business and social practices of the Western business cultural contexts. Students are guided to seek international expertise from a variety of approaches, with the aim to developing suitable business management systems and practices for their own work environments. A culturally sensitive teaching and learning process is also adopted in the program to ensure that subject contents, instructional methods, material and business and management ideals are applicable in Asian or Chinese practices.
A focus of the Chinese MBA is to teach students how to learn, which is as important as teaching students what they need to learn. The program aims to develop in students dynamic learning behaviours - that they seek critical analysis, question management ideas and conflicting views, break the whole into parts with clarity and objectivity, seek analytical and lateral learning, and critically examine business management theories in order to develop their own 'theories'. Designed in the courses are opportunities for students to read widely, participate and involve in the discussion and construction of opinions, and development of independent views. More importantly, these learning behaviours help to enrich students' learning experience, particularly through developing interpersonal skills that enhance shared-learning. What is learned can become meaningful to students and what is taught can have some form of relevance or can be transferable to Asian and Chinese management. In addition, students are enabled to seek further, advanced and life-long learning throughout their chosen careers, in Asia, China or abroad.
Students of the Chinese MBA program are mature-aged, with industrial experience and occupying responsible business or professional positions in Asian or Chinese organisations. They are faced with increasingly diverse and challenging tasks of business administration. It is essential that the teaching and learning process of the Chinese MBA captures these students' thoughts, experience and strategies related to their business or work goals, thereby enhancing active, effective and sustainable managerial decisions.