CKGSB Provides Insight Into China’s Reemergence as an Economic Superpower

China is experiencing a renaissance in business. The world knows it, and as a result, its business schools are gaining more prominence. Among them is Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business (CKGSB), which aims to help the Chinese keep up with the disruption of technology and Westerners to better understand how to conduct business in China.

Accomplishing these tasks is hardly simple. Xiang Bing, founding dean and professor of China Business and Globalization at CKGSB says, “In China, the types of companies we have are very different. There are many private family businesses and multinationals here, there’s the prominence of manufacturers, the players are different. That’s why Western theories and principles of business may not apply.”

A need to understand China and its businesses

Many top Western organizations, including Ernst & Young, come to CKGSB for executive MBA programs. People in the West are hungry to understand China, its people, and its corporate practices, says Bing. Of course, the school offers traditional MBA courses too.  

Bing cites the following reasons for the burgeoning interest in the country and its business schools: 

• China has become a top global trading partner for many countries.
• There’s a strong wave of globalization among Chinese companies, they’re making investments across the globe.
• Others have the need to learn about ongoing innovation in China, which is increasing demand for insider knowledge of Chinese business.

How CKGSB is spreading knowledge

As a result, CKGSB is hosting hundreds of students from other business schools, including those from the US and the Koreas. Bing says, “We differentiate ourselves by providing Chinese insights. The top business leaders want to come to study to gain these insights and have a holistic view.”

Bing says the speed of disruption is what keeps him striving for more clarity around emerging technologies and how to help students innovate. Therefore, disruption is a key aspect of the programming.

He says, “There’s more disruption in China than anywhere else. We have to keep up and try to stay ahead of the curve. We have to keep on innovating.”

This is one of the reasons business schools around the world are evolving. Lifelong learning isn’t just a novel concept anymore, it’s now a necessity.

Promoting higher learning

Bing says, “No matter how smart the top executives are, they need to go back to study.” Advances in technology that have made businesses truly global have made further education a must for everyone, especially those in leadership roles.

Another shift in thinking is influencing businesses and business schools. The idea of using business as a way to address social problems is at the forefront of study at CKGSB. All MBAs take Social Innovation, a course that provides a platform for considering how businesses, governments, or NGOs can tackle challenges, such as income inequality and sustainability.

In addition, since 2008, the school has required students to participate in 48 hours of volunteer service. Previously, it was only for executive MBA students, but in the last year, the school extended it to other programs.

Ahead of trends

Bing says, “The school has tried to be at the forefront of groundbreaking innovation for business schools.”

Students must study history and philosophy at CKGSB. By incorporating the humanities into CKGSB’s curriculum in 2005 before it was trendy to do so is one way the program stands out.

The new world order in business

“The whole teaching philosophy of the MBA has been too myopic,” says Bing. “How do we develop future leaders who truly care about the care of others? They must care about the long-term future of humanity. We want them to lead with empathy and humanity and not a winner-take-all mindset.”

Many other business schools around the world are evolving their perceptions about what constitutes business education. They’re also transforming programs and rewriting mission statements to show their students business leaders must do more than just make money. One need only look at Rotterdam School of Management at Erasmus University or Grenoble Ecole de Management. CKGSB has the same attitude and opinion about what it means to be in business today.

Bing says of the school’s students and graduates: “We don’t want them to only lead a rich life but an enriched life, enlightened if attainable.”