Newsletter No. 150

2 No. 150 19th September 1999 CUHK Newsletter The B A Faculty is Thinking World A n Interview with P r o f . Japhet Law, N e w D e a n o f B u s i n e s s A d m i n i s t r a t i o n In business administration, relative to disciplines such as history and mathematics, trends in the external environment are an important driving force. Business schools have to be quick in responding to new external demands in order to produce students who can function effectively in the real world of business. During the last few years, the world business arena has been globalizing and transnational companies have been having an increasingly significant influence on the world economy. Business schools themselves too have been becoming transnational Locally Hong Kong has been reviewing its economic position after the Asian financial crisis. As one of the top business schools in Asia and one with a new and ambitious dean, what new strategic developments would these factors entail for the University Faculty of Business Administration? T h i n k i n g World a G l o b a l T r e n d Prof. Japhet Law, new Dean of Business Administration, said that going global w i l l definitely be a major direction of the faculty. 'Our faculty is unique i n that we don't just concern ourselves w i t h Ho ng Kong, but w i t h the whole world. Our operation depends very mu ch on what other business schools around the wo r ld are doing and vice versa whereas other faculties may only have their counterparts across t own to consider. Business schools all over the wo r ld are thinking globally. We need to do that too. We have to build more permanent working relationships w i th institutions overseas and perhaps also consider expanding our operating arena,' he said, adding that definitive plans, however, were still in the making. 'Business schools all over the world are thinking globally. We need to do that too' C h i n a Factor B e c o m e s A ll the More R e l e v a n t Similarly the faculty w i l l also solidify its links w i t h business schools i n mainland China. The Chinese University's connection w i t h business administration and management training on the mainland dates back to 1980, i n the early days of China's Open Door Policy. It was then that the Chinese government began sending potential business teachers abroad to study so that they could set up business schools upon return to China. Before that time, business administration was little heard of in China. Due to the convenience of proximity, most of them were sent to Ho ng Kong. A n d most of those sent to Ho ng Kong came to the CUHK business school, the oldest i n the territory. 'We've always had a close relation w i t h business schools on the mainland just as Ho ng Kong's always had a close relation w i t h China. But Ho ng Kong is now not only close to China, but part of China. The relationship has been formalized. From that perspective, as a business school in China, what responsibility do we have towards our country's development? We w i l l need to t u rn our link w i t h China into a more practical collaborative effort in the next few years,' said Prof. Law. 'Hong Kon is now not only close to China, but part of China. The relationship has been formalized. ... We will need to turn our link with China into a more Practical collaborative affort in the next few years' Strategies to Improve Teaching in the P i p e l i n e In terms of the faculty's highly rated teaching, Prof. Law said that though it has always been responsive to market demand, there is still potential for a leap-frog'. Again plans are as yet 'too preliminary for disclosure' but if implemented they could 'raise the quality of teaching by a very significant margin'. He further revealed that the plans are basically a rethinking of what business education is, of how to improve teaching given the present resources and environment, of whether what was done in the past is still appropriate, and of what a business student should learn on his/her first day of class. O p e n Door P o l i c y for Student A d m i s s i o n A d v o c a t e d Prof. Law feels very strongly that business students should cultivate global perspectives and the way to give them more exposure to the wo r ld is by letting the wo r ld in, so to speak. However the faculty has to wo rk under limitations in this regard, because of the government's policy of keeping the number of undergraduate students coming f r om outside Ho ng Kong at four per cent of the total student population. Prof. Law advocates an 'Open Door Policy' and giving free rein to the market. 'Education should not be done behind closed doors. We don't have to subsidize international students as much as we do Ho ng Kong students since they don't pay taxes here. By levying appropriate tuition fees, we may even be able to recover our costs. Ho ng Kong claims to have a free market economy but i n education, many operations are non- free-market. It's quite disappointing and it has affected the quality of our graduates very significantly. Unlike business students in other parts of the world, our students cannot think globally because they interact only w i t h Ho ng Kong people. It has also affected their contacts wh i ch are very important to a business career,' he said. The policy also applies to students coming to study from the rest of China. So although the mainland has a great demand for undergraduate and graduate training i n business administration and the faculty is in a good position to provide it, it cannot do much because its hands are tied. The faculty's M.PhiL and Ph.D. programmes operate under a quota of about one non-local for every two local students. Another problem is that as Hong Kong students tend to opt for the more practical MBA route, the enrolment of non-local students has been further limited. Prof. Law said the government is making moves to ameliorate the situation but 'relatively slowly'. '... our students cannot think globally because they interact only with Hong Kong people' P a s tLaurelsandFutureChallenges The faculty is the oldest business school in the territory as well as a top one i n Asia. Prof. Law believes the major reasons for its success over the last three decades have been its head start, hard work, and dedication. The faculty has had a strong American orientation right from its beginning. The first vice-chancellor of the '...the major reasons for (the faculty's ) succcess over the last three decades have been its head starts, hard work, and dedication'

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