Asian schools itself in the art of business(2)

Regional MBA programs shine as demand for education soars

- Have you ever thought about singing up for Asian business schools including Korean schools? If so, why? If not, why?

- How do you see the future of Asian business schools? What would be your recommendation for MBA programs in the region?

Based upon our discussion so far, let us move on to debates on how useful MBA programs may be to your career. Are you for or against advancing to business schools? Please share your ideas on MBA education.

Improving the Quality of MBA Education in Korea, Japan and China(12)

Improving the Quality of MBA Education in Korea, Japan and China - Integrating East & West

Starting Korea, our first action plan is to underscore the importance of Eastern-Western value integrated MBA education in the academic and corporate sector by all means. Then, we will propose the new MBA education model to schools, companies, Ministry of Education of each country and contact companies to join the new MBA curriculum launch and support the schools at the same time. 

Throughout all these efforts, if students will have more skills, expertise to increase productivity and will be more rounded globally and companies will also have greater competitive advantages, we can dare to say our model for innovation, the brand-new MBA education model, succeeds in adding values to the stakeholders of MBA education in Korea, Japan and China.

Improving the Quality of MBA Education in Korea, Japan and China(11)

Improving the Quality of MBA Education in Korea, Japan and China - Integrating East & West

If ideas suggested above come true, enormous synergy effects can be anticipated. Shown as a spiral in the SECI model, stakeholders of MBA education, students, schools and companies will be surely satisfied with the brand-new MBA education model. By exchanging human talent, financial support and further developing co-project and consulting, model for innovation will pave the new way for the future of MBA education in Korea, Japan and China. 

Against this background, it will not be a wishful thinking anymore for Asian MBA schools to list their names on the top of the global MBA rankings. For that, we will not just sit idle. No matter how difficult it would be, we are going to try our best to realize our suggestions in all three countries.

Improving the Quality of MBA Education in Korea, Japan and China(10)

Improving the Quality of MBA Education in Korea, Japan and China - Integrating East & West

In this regard, MBA schools should listen to corporate voices and be ready to adapt to changes. Master of Business and Engineering Program of Steinbeis University in Germany can be a good role model for Asian MBA schools. 

At Steinbeis University, students are admitted to school upon the corporate requests and sponsoring companies pay the student’s tuition in return for comprehensive study on specific projects of importance to them. As a result, after a one year intense curriculum and additional focus on the above specific projects, the student would return to the company armed with practical knowledge especially on those targeted projects.

Improving the Quality of MBA Education in Korea, Japan and China(9)

Improving the Quality of MBA Education in Korea, Japan and China - Integrating East & West

In that Korea, Japan and China is located close to each other, MBA schools in three countries have great advantage to provide comprehensive curriculum.

In this sense, BESETO program, a North-East Asian university belt for strengthening relationship among Beijing (Peking) University, Seoul National University and Tokyo National University, is required to be more activated. Nobody will dispute that MBA schools primarily exist for practical education.

Improving the Quality of MBA Education in Korea, Japan and China(8)

Improving the Quality of MBA Education in Korea, Japan and China - Integrating East & West

Moreover, when it comes to class profile, apart from the Asian student dominant class, the number of non-Asian students is better to reach half. This is no exception to faculty profile. According to the 2009-2010 global MBA program of College of Business at Seoul National University, 48 out of 49 full-time professors are Western Ph.D. But to integrate East and West, around 30% should be Asian Ph.D. professors. 

Of course, Eastern-Western value integration is not enough to fully improve the quality of MBA education in Korea, Japan and China. We also need additional initiatives, to name a few, active globalization, regional cooperation, practical and timely education. Going without saying, more English class and profile diversity is a must to most Asian MBA schools for real globalization.

Enhancing the Quality of MBA Education in Korea, Japan and China(7)

Improving the Quality of MBA Education in Korea, Japan and China - Integrating East & West

Last but not least, inducing western applications to Korean, Japanese and Chinese MBA schools is of great significance. It is basically because Asian value needs be passed to Western students so that they can broaden or deepen their horizon in Asian context. However, it is also true that we still need Western value in many ways. 

Thus, the ideal model of Asian MBA education can be achieved by balancing Western curriculum with newly-introduced Eastern curriculum. For example, existing subjects such as international strategy, management information system and new subjects such as Confucianism and Buddhism, both of them should make their presence.

Enhancing the Quality of MBA Education in Korea, Japan and China(6)

Improving the Quality of MBA Education in Korea, Japan and China - Integrating East & West

Under this circumstance, integrating Eastern & Western values into MBA education through active Asian-value reflection should be done in no time. First of all, Asia-specific classes such as Confucianism, Buddhism, Asian language and history need be opened. In doing so, Asian MBA schools can deliver values such as social responsibility, ethics and community spirit. 

In addition, more case studies, especially about new and joint ventures that are so prevalent as China develops, are powerfully required. Students can learn Korean IT industry, Japanese management style and Chinese manufacturing sector in depth. Furthermore, faculty members with Asian backgrounds should be recruited to some extent. Without Asian Ph.D. professors, active Asian value reflection will be a wishful thinking.

Enhancing the Quality of MBA Education in Korea, Japan and China(5)

Improving the Quality of MBA Education in Korea, Japan and China - Integrating East & West

Thus, if timely and properly changed, Asian MBA schools can even suggest a new education model. Then, companies, one of the biggest stakeholders of MBA education, can place themselves in the high interest and high power square of Stakeholder analysis. In other words, corporate responses would be moved from the present 'Indifference' to the future 'Active Recruitment'. 

Contextual background of various countries by Geert Hofstede also implies that Korea, Japan and China, as the most high context nations which underline righteousness and strongly want their faces saved, desperately need different types of MBA education with remarkable emphasis on Asian value.

Enhancing the Quality of MBA Education in Korea, Japan and China(4)

Improving the Quality of MBA Education in Korea, Japan and China - Integrating East & West

In fact, general analysis of 13 Korean, 29 Japanese, over 45 Chinese schools (defined as professional schools with full-time MBA programs) supports our idea. SWOT analysis indicates that western-oriented curriculum such as marketing, financial accounting, organizational behavior and insufficient globalization and lack of practical education constitutes the weakness of Asian MBA schools. 

However, at the same time, Asian MBA schools also have a life-time chance. With the rapid growth of Eastern economy and subsequent highlights on Eastern value, they draw more and more attention from all over the world.

Enhancing the Quality of MBA Education in Korea, Japan and China(3)

Improving the Quality of MBA Education in Korea, Japan and China - Integrating East & West

In fact, deans of top Korean and Japanese business schools shared this idea when they discussed the future of Asian MBA schools last August. Taeshik Ahn, dean of the College of Business at Seoul National University of Korea said the desirable MBA education is to highlight both talent and co-existence. 

He added that a MBA school must be a place where students can learn not only knowledge but also life. Hirotaka Takeuchi, dean of the Graduate School of International Corporate Strategy at Hitotsubashi University of Japan, showed similar opinions as well. 

He stressed that leaders should be equipped with ethics and cultural diversity. He further developed his argument that the core competitiveness of Asian business schools lies in delivering these values to students.

Study with Nikkei Asian Review(1)

Asian schools itself in the art of business
Regional MBA programs shine as demand for education soars

What are the key factors lying behind the booming of Asian business schools?

Please name out major characteristics of Asian business schools. How are they different from those of Western business schools?

Neither South Korean nor Japanese business schools are listed in top 50 of FT’s global MBA rankings. Please let us know your opinion especially in the aspect of the economic clout of the two countries.

Have you ever thought about singing up for Asian business schools including Korean schools? If so, why? If not, why?

How do you see the future of Asian business schools? What would be your recommendation for MBA programs in the region?

Improving the Quality of MBA Education in Korea, Japan and China(6)

Improving the Quality of MBA Education in Korea, Japan and China(6) - Integrating East & West

If ideas suggested above come true, enormous synergy effects can be anticipated. Shown as a spiral in the SECI model, stakeholders of MBA education, students, schools and companies will be surely satisfied with the brand-new MBA education model. By exchanging human talent, financial support and further developing co-project and consulting, model for innovation will pave the new way for the future of MBA education in Korea, Japan and China.

Against this background, it will not be a wishful thinking anymore for Asian MBA schools to list their names on the top of the global MBA rankings. For that, we will not just sit idle. No matter how difficult it would be, we are going to try our best to realize our suggestions in all three countries.

Starting Korea, our first action plan is to underscore the importance of Eastern-Western value integrated MBA education in the academic and corporate sector by all means. Then, we will propose the new MBA education model to schools, companies, Ministry of Education of each country and contact companies to join the new MBA curriculum launch and support the schools at the same time.

Throughout all these efforts, if students will have more skills, expertise to increase productivity and will be more rounded globally and companies will also have greater competitive advantages, we can dare to say our model for innovation, the brand-new MBA education model, succeeds in adding values to the stakeholders of MBA education in Korea, Japan and China.

Improving the Quality of MBA Education in Korea, Japan and China(5)

Improving the Quality of MBA Education in Korea, Japan and China(5) - Integrating East & West

In that Korea, Japan and China is located close to each other, MBA schools in three countries have great advantage to provide comprehensive curriculum.

In this sense, BESETO program, a North-East Asian university belt for strengthening relationship among Beijing (Peking) University, Seoul National University and Tokyo National University, is required to be more activated. Nobody will dispute that MBA schools primarily exist for practical education.

In this regard, MBA schools should listen to corporate voices and be ready to adapt to changes. Master of Business and Engineering Program of Steinbeis University in Germany can be a good role model for Asian MBA schools. At Steinbeis University, students are admitted to school upon the corporate requests and sponsoring companies pay the student’s tuition in return for comprehensive study on specific projects of importance to them.

As a result, after a one year intense curriculum and additional focus on the above specific projects, the student would return to the company armed with practical knowledge especially on those targeted projects.

Improving the Quality of MBA Education in Korea, Japan and China(4)

Improving the Quality of MBA Education in Korea, Japan and China(4) - Integrating East & West

Last but not least, inducing western applications to Korean, Japanese and Chinese MBA schools is of great significance. It is basically because Asian value needs be passed to Western students so that they can broaden or deepen their horizon in Asian context.

However, it is also true that we still need Western value in many ways. Thus, the ideal model of Asian MBA education can be achieved by balancing Western curriculum with newly-introduced Eastern curriculum. For example, existing subjects such as international strategy, management information system and new subjects such as Confucianism and Buddhism, both of them should make their presence.

Moreover, when it comes to class profile, apart from the Asian student dominant class, the number of non-Asian students is better to reach half. This is no exception to faculty profile. According to the 2009-2010 global MBA program of College of Business at Seoul National University, 48 out of 49 full-time professors are Western Ph.D. But to integrate East and West, around 30% should be Asian Ph.D. professors.

Of course, Eastern-Western value integration is not enough to fully improve the quality of MBA education in Korea, Japan and China. We also need additional initiatives, to name a few, active globalization, regional cooperation, practical and timely education. Going without saying, more English class and profile diversity is a must to most Asian MBA schools for real globalization.

Improving the Quality of MBA Education in Korea, Japan and China(2)

Improving the Quality of MBA Education in Korea, Japan and China(2) - Integrating East & West

In fact, deans of top Korean and Japanese business schools shared this idea when they discussed the future of Asian MBA schools last August. Taeshik Ahn, dean of the College of Business at Seoul National University of Korea said the desirable MBA education is to highlight both talent and co-existence. He added that a MBA school must be a place where students can learn not only knowledge but also life. Hirotaka Takeuchi, dean of the Graduate School of International Corporate Strategy at Hitotsubashi University of Japan, showed similar opinions as well. He stressed that leaders should be equipped with ethics and cultural diversity. He further developed his argument that the core competitiveness of Asian business schools lies in delivering these values to students. 

Against this background, it isn’t too much to say that this is the right time to improve the quality of MBA education especially in Korea, Japan and China. It is mainly because MBA schools in these countries have not met corporate expectation in spite of the countries' economic status in the global stage. Needless to say, integrating Eastern-Western value into MBA curriculums will be the most desirable and persuasive way to upgrade MBA education in three countries.

In fact, general analysis of 13 Korean, 29 Japanese, over 45 Chinese schools (defined as professional schools with full-time MBA programs) supports our idea. SWOT analysis indicates that western-oriented curriculum such as marketing, financial accounting, organizational behavior and insufficient globalization and lack of practical education constitutes the weakness of Asian MBA schools.

However, at the same time, Asian MBA schools also have a life-time chance. With the rapid growth of Eastern economy and subsequent highlights on Eastern value, they draw more and more attention from all over the world.