EMBA course providers eye SZ

2003年03月11日  01:13

AT least seven domestic and overseas universities that provide the EMBA course are competing in Shenzhen to enroll business leaders in the wake of China’s go-ahead for EMBA education for 30 domestic universities last August. According to a source with the Shenzhen Virtual University Park, institutions trying to lure local EMBA students via their Shenzhen links include Qinghua University, Wuhan University, Nankai University, Xiamen University (Xiada) and Beijing University’s Guanghua School of Management. “As far as I know, classes have already been running in Guanghua and Xiada since January,” said Huang Muyin, a section chief of the representative office of Xiamen University. He said there were 30 more Shenzhen students in Guanghua’s class and another 20 in Xiada’s. “Most are general managers and senior executives from well-known foreign-funded enterprises and private companies such as Huawei.” Huang also said there were some at presidential level from large State-owned enterprise groups. In spite of the expensive and controversial tuition fees, which range from 200,000 to 250,000 yuan (US$24,000 to US$30,000) as laid down by the nation’s education authorities, the number of senior managers eager to enhance their careers is estimated at 5,000. Market potential is expected to reach 970 million yuan within the next five years. Huang predicted that in a city like Shenzhen, potential students could total some 1,000 when taking into consideration only large companies. To tap the South China market, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and Richard Ivey School of Business/Asia have also entered the competition. Hong Kong-based Richard Ivey, a school attached to the University of Western Ontario, recently held a promotion in Shenzhen hoping to increase its percentage of Chinese students. Larry Wynant, associate dean of the school, said Shenzhen entrepreneurs were facing new challenges and more rivalry against the background of a global economy and informationalization. They should think globally and act strategically, he said.