New IBSS International MBA Program Aims to Break Boundaries: MBA News

A new, International MBA has been launched by International Business School, Suzhou (IBSS). The International MBA program held its first international open house session last weekend, with lectures, workshops and networking opportunities available to participants. As part of the session, a Saturday event where academics and managers gave a public seminar saw Professor Murray Dalzier, of the Liverpool Management School, asked a particularly provocative question: "Why is leadership more interesting than sex?"

Although not a question many Chinese businessmen are accustomed to, it goes right to the heart of exactly what this International MBA program aims to do. Chinese students will not only be exposed to Western business thought (and by extension, western humor), but international students looking to study an MBA in China will have the opportunity to study a course with an international focus, yet within a Chinese context.

Since its inauguration in February, studying the IBSS MBA in China has already helped students broaden their cultural, intellectual, and most importantly, business insight, “This International MBA program is designed to be structured to emphasize both East and West. The professors and the students come from different countries and different backgrounds” says IBSS student Nicola Adamo. The sentiment is also echoed by classmate Chongro Lee from Bosch Automotive Diesel systems “By studying in China, I learn much more than just the course materials. That’s the benefit….” Also, the three day a month, part time structure of the MBA makes the transition from academia to industry that much easier for students, “you can apply what you learned the day after classes ends” says Adamo.

Studying an MBA in China

Studying at IBSS exposes students to the benefits of an MBA in China. Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP) offers unparalleled industrial and business connections, possessing over 100 Fortune 500 companies and 1000 joint ventures, “We regularly develop research projects and host open forums in collaboration with SIP companies to allow students and staff to meet business leaders in industry,” says Professor Youmin Xi, executive president of Xi’an Jiaotong - Liverpool University and the University of Liverpool’s vice chancellor.

IBSS is located in Suzhou, eastern China, where the booming economy makes the prospect of an MBA in China even more enticing “We benefit from the economic boom underway in Suzhou, the city is a center of business and a magnet for investment… But we also benefit from the livability of Suzhou. The city is a tourist destination with its historical gardens and scenic lake. And it is on the doorstep of Shanghai, which is 25 minutes away by bullet train” says IBSS Dean Sarah Dixon.

IBSS plans to launch its full-time International MBA program in 2015.