Bulletin Number Three 1985

MBA Division Brief History The MBA Division of the Faculty of Business Administration has its origin in the Lingnan Institute of Business Administration, which was established in 1966 with funds provided by The Trustees of Lingnan University. The Institute's primary objective was to select well-qualified and highly motivated young people and prepare them for responsible and demanding managerial positions in Hong Kong's business community. However, i t was also anticipated that some of the graduates would become teachers in universities and other tertiary institutions and that others would join the Government. The Institute's secondary objectives were to sponsor research (by teachers and students) and to provide consulting and training services for business enterprises, Government departments and non-profit making organizations. The Institute's two-year, full-time graduate programme was modelled on similar programmes in U.S. universities. Since the Institute was an integral part of the Graduate School of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, its graduates received their degrees from the University. An Advisory Board, composed of prominent local and overseas businessmen and scholars, was established to provide guidance on admissions, curriculum, summer employment, career placement, public relations and other important matters. In order 'not to flood the market with graduates', initial enrolment of the Lingnan Institute was limited to six students, four of whom graduated in 1968. However, student enrolment increased steadily, and twenty-five students received their MBA degrees in 1974. During this initial ‘growt h period', considerable faculty effort was spent in developing close relations between the Institute and prominent local and international business firms, and much attention was given to the placement of the graduates. The graduates performed well, and this contributed much to the Institute's reputation in the Hong Kong business community. The number of applicants for admission to the Institute's Two-Year MBA Programme grew rapidly from year to year, and the faculty made every effort to select those with the highest potential as managers. Although theLingna nInstitute continued to receive financial support from The Trustees of Lingnan University, the University was able to obtain additional funds from prominent local businessmen and companies. In 1974 the University established a separate Faculty of Business Administration consisting of three undergraduate Departments. Although the Lingnan Institute of Business Administration continued to operate as a part of the Graduate School, its faculty members worked closely with their counterparts in the three Departments and served on various committees. There were frequen t exchanges of teachers, and a number of joint research projects and other activities were undertaken. In 1976 the Lingnan Institute was approached by the Civil Service Training Department of the Government Secretariat and requested to offer a part-time programme in management for Government officials. With the assistance of the University's Department of Extramural Studies, the Institute developed the 'Diploma in Management Studies Programme for Administrative and Executive Officers of the Hong Kong Government'. The Programme consists of eight courses given at the rate of two courses per semester (on Saturday mornings), and the graduates receive diplomas from the Department of Extramural Studies. Since classes began in 1977, five groups have completed the Programme; Group Six will finish it in December 1985. Early in 1977 ， several successful Hong Kong businessmen approached the University with an offer of substantial financial assistance for support of an evening MBA programme designed for local men and women in managerial and professional positions. Their offer was accepted with gratitude, and the Three-Year MBA Programme was established. This programme consists of eighteen required and elective courses given over a period of nine trimesters (of about thirteen weeks each). Each student must have a first degree or equivalent professional qualifications and at least three years of managerial experience. There were over seven hundred applications for the forty-five places in the initial class, which began in September 1977. Every effort was made to select the best students, and the calibre of those chosen was extremely high. In spite of heavy workloads and relatively high standards, there were very few dropouts or failures during their three years in the Programme. An Advisory Board for the Three-Year MBA Programme was also established in 1977; it was composed primarily of the local businessmen who provided financial and other support for the Programme. 10 RECENT DEVELOPMENTS