More business schools in China are tapping experience from the West and elsewhere to meet the country’s growing demand for business elites.

Earlier this month, Shanghai’s Fudan University and London Business School jointly launched a business degree program. Their Global Masters in Management program boasts a combination of teaching modes and real-life experience from East and West. It will include business immersion through company projects.  Leading Chinese companies will mentor some of these managers.

The partnership with London Business School, one of the world’s top business education institutions, will help us reach a higher level in terms of expertise. It will also help draw out the best of the management systems employed in both the East and West, aiding the development of more capable leaders in the future,” Lu said.
Andrew Likierman, dean of the London school, said: “This program will give its graduates a ‘two-world’ mindset, combining direct exposure to China and the West. The balance of theory and practice will ensure that students gain a head start in the competition for the world’s best business jobs.”

Fudan’s business school has also worked with other prestigious schools overseas to carry out cooperative programs. The university has worked with Washington University to launch the Executive MBA program, which prepares senior-level professionals in China and other parts of Asia for global leadership.
“As the nation’s commerce takes off, it has become important for companies’ higher management to have a better understanding of the thriving Chinese economy and business practices. We have already seen the growing demand from employers for business talent with profound experience in China and the West,” said David Huang, a veteran headhunter who has worked in a multinational talent recruiter in Beijing.
“In this regard, how to provide a combined education with global vision and practical knowledge suitable for the local market becomes an issue,” he said.
Many consider Chinese business schools to have experienced a late start compared with those in the West. They have also faced a number of challenges, including lagging training modes, insufficient practical cases to draw on and ignorance about career design for students.
Over the past years, these schools have been implementing global strategies to help plug these gaps.