Newsletter No. 206

CUHK Newsletter No. 206 4th September 2002 3 The Numbe r 1 Business Schoo l i n the Asia-Pacifi c I wou ld like to send my warmest congratulations to The C h i n e s e University o f H o n g K o n g o n t h e n a m i n g o f t h e C U H K Faculty o f Business Administration a s the Numbe r On e MBA School by Asia Inc. This is a significant achievement for the U n i v e r s i t y a s w e l l a s f o r t h e h i g h e r e d u c a t i o n s e c t o r o f H o n g Kong. It demonstrates that Hong Kong is not just a premium commercial and financial hub of the region but also a top- class centre for business and management education in the A s i a Pa c i f i c . Mr. Tung Chee Hwa, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong SAR Indeed, the ability to Innovate is what determines who is the winner in business, irrespective of Industry or location. Dr. Alice Lam, UGC Chairman Prof. Arthur K.C. Li, Hong Kong's new education chief, exchanging greetings with Dr. Cheng Yu Tung, chairman of the MBA Advisory Board CUHK has always placed the highest priority on teaching, learning and scholarship. The recognition bestowed on the University reflects hard wo rk and dedication by staff and students, as well as support by alumni and the community. Prof. Kenneth Young, Acting Vice-Chancellor, CUHK Hosts and guests offering a toast at the celebration T he Chines e Universit y ha s again bee n ranked number one in the Asia-Pacific, this time by business magazine Asia Inc. i n its lates t rankin g o f M B A schools . I n second and third place ar e respectively th e Indian Institut e o f Managemen t an d th e National Universit y o f Singapor e Busines s School Th e results were released in the 1 st August issu e of the magazine . The 6 2 busines s school s i n th e Asia - Pacific region taking part in the 2002 surve y were assesse d using thre e criteria : facult y resources, studen t quality , an d academi c reputation. Th e magazine noted that CUH K was 'renowne d fo r th e dept h o f it s facult y resources' an d 'its commitment to innovation was the key to its No. 1 place'. Close t o 20 0 celebritie s attende d a celebration a t the University' s ne w M B A Town Centre in Central held on 1s t August. Guests include d Dr. Cheng Yu Tung, Ne w Wo r l d chairma n an d chairma n o f th e University's Advisor y Boar d o f the M B A Programmes; Prof . A r t hu r K.C . L i , immediate pas t vice-chancellor o f th e University an d the ne w Secretar y fo r Ed u c a t i on an d Ma n p o w e r o f th e HKSAR; Dr . Alice Lam , chairma n o f the University Grant s Committee ; Dr . Wi l l i am Fung , managin g directo r o f the Li & Fun g Group ; Mr . Roge r Luk , treasurer o f the University; Mr. Franci s Yuen an d Mr . Linu s Cheung , M B A Advisory Boar d members; Mr. Pete r T. S. Wong, Dr . Allen Le e Pen g Fei , an d Dr. P h i l i p P o H i m Wu , a d j u n c t professors o f th e Facult y o f Busines s Administration. A l s o presen t wer e many Universit y Counci l members , University officers , facult y members , CUMBA alumn i an d students . In 2001 , Th e Chines e Universit y was ranke d numbe r on e i n Asi a fo r it s Executive M B A Programm e b y bot h L o n d o n - b a s ed Financial Times an d th e U S ma g a z i ne Business Week. O TOP MANAGER FOR A TOP BUSINESS SCHOOL How the New Dean of Business Administration Sees Hi s New Pos t ‘I feel very honoured to take over the deanship of suc h a great faculty, ' sai d Prof. Le e Tie n Sheng, former chairman of the Department o f D e c i s i on Science s an d Ma n a g e r i a l Economics an d the new dea n of the Facult y of Business Administration fro m 1 st August 2002. Just how grea t is the faculty? Well, it s most recen t laure l i s bein g ranke d th e number on e M B A schoo l i n th e Asia - Pacific b y Asia Inc. Las t year, the faculty' s Executive M BA Programm e was ranked 33 worldwide b y Business Week among ove r 80 business school s i n the world tha t offe r E M B A programmes , 1 8 b y Financial Times, an d c l a i me d th e numbe r on e position o f al l thes e programme s i n Asia . The C U H K M B A Programme s hav e consistently attaine d top ranking s i n Hon g Kong an d Asia i n survey s o f Asia' s bes t M B A school s conducte d by Asiaweek. 'In both business and education, success guarantees a vision but no vision guarantee s success,' sai d Prof . Le e wit h a laugh. Hi s vision fo r thi s alread y successfu l busines s school i s t o furthe r boos t th e reputation , contribution, an d actua l strengt h o f al l it s teaching programme s an d research throug h collective effort . Thi s ma y no t soun d earth - shattering, bu t improvemen t whe n on e i s already 'excellent ' ma y prov e non e the les s challenging tha n when one is simply 'good' . Prof. Lee, however, may just be the right man fo r th e undertaking . Wit h a Ph.D. i n production an d operations management fro m the Universit y o f Missouri-Columbia , a n MBA fro m th e sam e university , a n MS i n Management Scienc e fro m Taiwa n Chiao - Tung University , no t t o mentio n havin g chaired the Managemen t Departmen t a t the University o f Utah, Prof. Le e i s an expert i n management. As such, how would he manage a world-class business school ? Prof. Le e sai d h e woul d tak e a Tota l Quality Managemen t ( TQM ) approach . Broadly speaking , TQM i s an organizationa l approach t o custome r satisfactio n tha t operates o n the basic principles o f involvin g and respecting customer s an d staff in decisions, continuously improvin g processes, and pre-empting problems . TQM i s a n ongoin g process, not an end in itself, and it is gainin g increasing importanc e i n a rapidly changin g global economy wit h continuousl y evolvin g products an d services. I n th e contex t o f th e CUHK Facult y o f Business Administration , the customers are Hong Kong society as well as students, alumni, and teaching members o f the faculty. Prof . Lee said, ‘ I lik e to sum up TQM int o five points: (1 ) a common goal: to strive fo r excellence , (2 ) collective wisdom , (3) teamwork, (4) the right methodology, and (5) continuous improvement. ' Translated int o concret e terms , Prof . Lee's visio n mean s enhancin g th e faculty' s contribution to the Greater China communit y through its China programme, and the worl d through its OneMBA Programme . 'Many o f our teaching staff are engaged in research related to mainland China, Hon g Kong, an d Taiwan . Ou r Offic e o f Chin a Research and Development, initiated by Prof. Japhet Law , ha s bee n coordinatin g th e faculty's effort s at conducting and promoting China research. More effort s will be made i n this and similar directions in the near future, ' said Prof . Lee . O n th e teachin g front , th e faculty currently runs an MBA Programm e i n Finance i n Chin a mainlan d jointl y wit h Tsinghua Universit y fo r mainlan d busines s executives, an d also a Master of Professional Accountancy Programm e wit h the Shangha i National Accountin g Institute . Thes e programmes have been extremely well received . The facult y ha s held severa l brainstormin g sessions wit h it s staf f o n th e strateg y o f offering mor e teachin g programme s o n th e mainland. Th e consensu s reache d durin g these sessions , Prof . Le e pointe d out , i s t o enhance th e faculty' s contributio n t o executive educatio n on the mainland through the offe r o f mor e Executiv e M B A Programmes in major cities such as Shanghai. If the China programme i s the faculty' s dedication t o educatio n i n China , th e OneMBA Programm e is its commitment a s a major player in international MBA education . The OneMB A i s offere d b y th e facult y i n collaboration wit h fou r othe r top-ranke d business schools in four continents: Funda çã o Getulio Vargas , Escola de Administra çã o d e Empresas d e S ã o Paul o (FGV-EAESP) , Brazil; th e Monterrey Tec h Graduate Schoo l of Business Administration an d Leadershi p ( EGA D E - I T E SM ), Me x i c o ; Erasmu s University Rotterdam , Rotterdam Schoo l o f Management (RSM) , Th e Netherlands; an d the University o f North Carolin a a t Chape l Hill (UNC) , Kenan-Flagler Busines s School , United State s o f America. Th e rigorous 2 1 - month programme begin s thi s month with a global clas s o f 10 0 senio r executive s distributed acros s th e fiv e On eMB A campuses. The y wil l stud y togethe r durin g four experientia l learning modules delivere d in Asia, Europe , North an d Sout h America , and at their home business schools . Having taught in the US for a decade and CUHK fo r another , Prof . Le e find s tha t th e students her e ar e the premium o f th e crop . Their onl y setbac k is their lack of motivatio n to participate i n class. He has come to notic e however tha t student s recruite d b y th e University fro m th e mainlan d exercis e a positive influenc e o n the loca l students , b y being active in class and hardworking. At th e graduate level , th e benefi t t o th e faculty' s research profile o f having mainland recruit s would b e more keenl y fel t i f the Universit y relaxes it s quot a o n mainlan d graduat e recruitment fo r the faculty, according to Prof. Lee. 'Althoug h our research performance has been outstandin g fo r a business school , th e combined graduat e studen t quota of the tw o schools and four departments in our faculty is about that of one department in other faculties such a s Scienc e an d Engineering,' h e said . Space i s anothe r issu e th e facult y ha s t o resolve w i t h hel p fro m th e Universit y administration, an d it should be able to do so, to som e extent , wit h th e completio n o f th e teaching hotel in 2005. The governmen t ha s announce d it s intention t o l i f t suppor t fo r M B A programmes. Prof. Lee is not worried about self- financing the programmes as he believes that, given thei r excellen t reputation , th e University w i l l continu e t o suppor t thei r development. 'I am just one of close to a hundred team players i n the business faculty. I se e my rol e as a coordinator for all academic activities and assume responsibilit y whe n i t fall s o n m y shoulders,' conclude d Prof. Lee , very muc h in the spirit of TQM. Piera Chen