'MBA across three global cities'

‘An MBA across three global cities’

 

THE top-ranked partnership programme between US-based Columbia Business School (CBS) and UK's London Business School (LBS) has expanded to Asia. EMBA Global, an MBA programme for working professionals, will now be offered in partnership with the University of Hong Kong (UHK) as EMBA-Global Asia. 

   "We are very excited as this new programme represents the expansion of EMBA-Global. UHK has a world-class reputation, robust academics and is the natural partner for the expansion of the programme into Asia," said Ethan Hanabury, associate dean (executive MBA programmes), CBS. This would be the first programme to offer learning and networking opportunities across three global cities -- New York, London and Hong Kong. The programme has been designed specifically for globally focussed executives and managers, primarily based in Asia, who seek to deepen their understanding of both Western and Eastern business perspectives. 

   Hanabury further elaborated: "It is a rigorous, 20-month residential programme drawing upon renowned faculty from CBS, LBS and UHK's Business School. The course of study will be conducted on a monthly basis for several consecutive days at one of the school's campuses." The core will be delivered in each of the three cities and the electives can be chosen from the partner schools' portfolio. Depending on the electives, the degree can be attained in 16 months. 

   Speaking about the admission process, Hanabury said: "The EMBA-Global Asia admissions process is rigorous and competitive to ensure that students enrolling in the programme will be studying alongside the very best students. Applicants will need to demonstrate the knowledge and experience necessary to contribute to high-level class discussions. Applicants will also need the ability to balance significant responsibilities of their professional lives with study and travel time." The GMAT test is required as well as the TOEFL/IELTS if applicable. Further, all applicants will need a letter from their employers granting them the time off work to complete the programme. 

   The programme is an equal partnership among the three schools and they would jointly confer degrees as well. "In Hong Kong, students will study at UHK's new Cyberport campus, and faculty from partner schools will travel to Hong Kong to teach, in addition to the students travelling to HK, London and New York," said Hanabury. Besides, upon graduation, students become part of the alumni network of all three schools. 

   The total cost of the programme is $1,20,000 --- including tuition, required international seminar, books and food during the residence weeks. It also includes accommodation for the first three terms but does not include travel. Applications to the programme will be available online by the third week of September and the inaugural class will begin in May 2009. 

   www.emba-global.com/asia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Sunil Sharma

    Moderator

Dil Se Desi Group

              &

www.dilsedesi.org

EXECUTIVE EDUCATION MARKET

Educating executives

INDIA'S EXECUTIVE EDUCATION MARKET IS GROWING BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS

IN the words of Jack Welch, one of business history's most famous managers, "An organisation's ability to learn, and translate that learning into action rapidly, is the ultimate competitive advantage." As companies widen their business portfolios and as they scale for global aspirations, the resource size and skill requirement is going to go up. In such a scenario, it makes good business sense to train senior executives and managers in specific skills to take on more responsibilities within the company.

Gone are the days when joining a job meant bidding adieu to academics. With the advent of executive education individuals can enhance their professional skills while climbing up the corporate ladder. While executive education in the US is approximately a $800 million per-year business (according to Business Week), in India too, the sector has been witnessing much action. With India's economic growth creating a need for skilled human capital, leading B-schools such as the Indian Institutes of Management and the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad are focussing on corporate education. Foreign institutions such as Harvard Business School and Oxford University are also making a beeline for this market.

Traditionally, there are two kinds of executive education programmes - management development programmes (MDPs) and executive MBAs (EMBAs). MDPs are short-term programmes, lasting between a day and a fortnight. MDPs can either be customised (to suit an individual company's needs) or open enrolment. EMBAs, on the other hand, are of a longer duration ranging between six to 36 months.

Says Sushil Khanna, chairman (consultancy and management development programmes), Indian Institute of Management-Calcutta: "Executive education programmes are the main source of revenue to IIM-C. We have at least 75 short duration management development programmes, and about 15-20 long duration programmes for working executives. In addition, we conduct nearly 30 corporate programmes designed for specific companies."

Explains Deepak Chandra, associate dean, Centre for Executive Education (CEE), Indian School of Business (ISB)- Hyderabad: "Learning and development is becoming a very important part of corporate strategy. Learning is an excellent tool for attracting, developing and retaining people.

Organisations require the right kind of capability development to deal with strategic challenges presented by the growing economy."

Harvard Business School recently completed a five-day executive education programme in Hyderabad. Programme participants included senior executives and managers of growing Indian companies across sectors, as well as executives of foreignbased firms and private investors with substantial current or contemplated exposure to India. Another executive-level seminar on real estate has been planned for June this year.

Says Professor David Yoffie, senior associate dean and chair of Harvard Business School Executive Education programmes: "The rapid economic expansion in India in recent years has created unique and varied challenges for companies. Through our research we found that there were some core issues facing companies as they sought to manage and sustain that growth in a global marketplace and our executive education programme provide businesses with an opportunity to address those specific and critical areas. Executive education programmes provide more experienced managers and executive teams the opportunity to enhance their skills without leaving rewarding and demanding jobs."

Adds Khanna, "The executive education market in India is booming. Companies who do not nurture their staff or train them have higher attrition rates. IIMs have used the earning from this training market to subsidise their MBA programmes and to offer freeships and scholarships to poor students."

The Oxford University India Business Centre will now be developing a range of custom and open executive education programmes to be delivered at a new facility located in Lavasa, near Pune. Explains Paul Chapman of University of Oxford's Said Business School, currently in India for a scoping study: "Executive education is key to developing the current and next generation of Indian business leaders as they shoulder the ambitions of shareholders, employees and the public to accelerate economic progress.

Sunil Sharma

Moderator

Dil Se Desi Group

MBA in Spain

IESE intensifies its Indian student ties

Aassociate professor at Spain's IESE Business School, University of Navarra, talks about the school's MBA programme and a steady increase in applications from India

In 2005, the IESE Business School beat its peers to emerge at the top of the Economist Intelligence Unit's annual ranking of full-time MBA programmes. Since then the school has seen a steady stream of MBA-aspirants from India make a beeline to its hallowed gates.Today IESE gets six applicants per-seat and as far as Indian applicants are concerned, the ratio is 25:1.

Velamuri, who has taught at the IESE for four years and is currently at the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS), China on a leave of absence from the former, is not surprised at the increase in interest. If anything, he says, it should have come sooner as IESE has been consistently figuring among the top 10 B-schools worldwide. Besides, there is another reason as to why IESE has finally opened up to Indian students. "In the past, the school wasn't very confident of placing Indians as labour laws in continental Europe were, and continue to be, quite difficult," explains Velamuri.

Unlike in the US, where an MBA student can get an OPT (occupational professional training permit) that allows him to work for a year, in Europe the company that hires a student has to sponsor him or her for a work permit. This is a lengthy process. "We are constantly saying that this is a mistake and that we should actually encourage human capital to stay in the country," says Velamuri, adding: "But despite that, today, we feel more confident of placing Indian students." And for good reason too, as the global demand for Indian MBA students has gone up. "Now, we can easily place them in either investment banks in London or consulting firms elsewhere in the world, or even back home in India because the salary difference between India and Europe is no longer as big as it used to be," states Velamuri.

IESE is also working towards intensifying its engagements with India and other emerging markets. "We already have a partnership with the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad, for the 'Inside India Executive Education Programme'. Further, for the second class of our 'Global EMBA Programme' we are planning to launch a two-week module in India," informs Velamuri. The Global EMBA will now have five modules in Spain, one in New York and one in India.

Also on the anvil is an Emerging Markets Centre (EMC). "The centre will focus more on practice and not so much on emerging market research, as there are already a number of centres across the world, both in business schools and otherwise, that are generating some very good research on emerging markets both, at a micro and macro level," says Velamuri. The EMC will focus on developing courses on emerging markets that can be included in the MBA curriculum and on developing short-term executive programmes on emerging markets.

Sunil Sharma

Moderator

Dil Se Desi Group

Executive MBA (EMBA)

ON STRONGER GROUND

An Executive MBA (EMBA) does more than just add a degree to your CV, it upgrades your skills and knowledge, enabling you to survive better in the competitive corporate world.

In the cut-throat world of business, obsolescence is fairly common. So if you’re looking to avoid stagnation, going back to the basics may be a noteworthy option. For most executives, climbing the rungs of the corporate ladder is always a challenge. While professionals find it difficult to get out of the rut, organisations face a dearth of qualified personnel to delegate responsibility to. Overcoming this two-fold predicament, business schools that look to the future have devised a unique solution: Executive Education. Says V H Iyer, dean, MDP, Welingkar Institute of Management Development and Research, “In the changing business dynamics, the industry needs people who can think of business as a whole.

Knowledge is paramount; in such a situation there is a definite need for management education. Hence, people who missed out on their MBA earlier, throng towards executive management programmes.” Adds Dinesh Harsolekar, director, IES Management College and Research Centre: “There are two reasons why we are introducing an executive MBA programme this coming July- Firstly, this is a golden opportunity for those professionals who, for a number of reasons, missed the chance to complete an MBA in the course of their academic tenure. Secondly, university courses are generally three- year courses, which are too time-consuming for working professionals to commit to. The EMBA is a fast track 15 to 18 month programme to cater specifically to such professionals.”

While the popularity of an executive education programme may be due to a desire to acquire professional education or a need to gain a broader perspective of the industry, the lure of the MBA stamp is clearly working its way across organisations. As Vivek Kejriwal, third year student of the part time EMBA, at NMIMS succinctly questions, “After having made the most of the ideal working age, when you’re offered a course that provides you a certificate along with your experience, it simply makes sense to go for it, doesn’t it?” However, if that’s not reason enough to drive you back to school, perhaps a better understanding of the course may just do the trick.“All EMBA programmes are encapsulated courses of study, considering the profile and work experience of people. They are applicationoriented and taught by specialists who are well up in industry practices as well as academics, bringing in rich experience to the classrooms to make the programme very relevant,” elucidates Iyer.

Highlighting the difference between a regular MBA and an EMBA course, Arun Mudbidri, director, Symbiosis Institute of Business Management says, “Because of the experiential base of the executive MBA students, the programme is more accelerated and interactive, and peer oriented. For example, students may be organised in learning teams of three-four students who work together throughout the duration of the programme. Moreover a higher level of seniority facilitates an improved exchange of each other’s experiences and makes the participation a worthwhile investment of time and money.”

Currently, while some B-schools offer shortterm management diploma programmes for executives, others offer the EMBA programme, which is for a longer duration. Obviously, choosing the right course is relative to each individual’s requirement as well as his or her organisation’s support. Tailor made, as it is, there is no specific format for the EMBA course, the options ranging from part-time to full-time courses, varying from school to school. While a minimum work experience of about three years seems to be universal, organisational sponsorship may be a requirement for particular programmes. “We see students coming in from all walks of life. Over the past few years there’s been a trend of practicing doctors coming in to do their MBAs. Entrepreneurs and their family members choose the executive MBA programme to pick up professional skills. So although working executives looking to boost their careers are most common, service professionals are not the only ones who want an MBA today,” reveals Prof Nitin Putcha, VP Marketing of the Institute for Technology and Management (ITM).

To sum up, an executive MBA is a course for those motivated professionals who desire to transition and upgrade themselves to a better implementation of their skills and knowledge. It brings about renewed confidence and a broader perspective so as to always remain in demand. “MBA programmes for working professionals help them immensely to upgrade their managerial and analytical skills; and thereby enable them to take better decision in their functional areas. The assessment and evaluation process for working professionals needs to be based more on project work and team presentations than traditional method of written examinations,” says P L Arya, director, N L Dalmia Institute of Management Studies and Research.

Finally, it provides an individual with one of the most potent tools required to survive in today’s corporate world- a key networking opportunity, which is one of the best assets you can inherit after an EMBA programme. As Mudbidri likes to put it, “We are at a point where the Executive MBA may soon become an essential part of the experienced Indian manager’s career progression. As the world economy shows signs of consolidated growth, and corporate results bring renewed confidence to boardrooms, business schools are reporting strong demand for their executive MBA programmes.” So if the word of top executives and education czars is anything to go by, this course is certain to transport you to the fast track to success!

Institutes offering EMBA courses (Indicative listing)

Welingkar Institute of Management Development and Research

Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies

SP Jain Institute of Management Studies

Symbiosis Institute of Management Studies

Indian Institutes of Management



Sunil Sharma
Moderator
Dil Se Desi Group