CUHK MBA Exposes Students to Cross-cultural Experiences

The MBA programs at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) Business School marks its 50th anniversary this year. Stephanie Villemagne has been appointed as the new associate dean of graduate programs and director of MBA. She was recently interviewed by Sing Tao Daily News. At the interview, she shared her visions to push for an increase of intake of MBA students from outside of Asia, the impending launch of a pre-experience master’s in management in 2018 and some of the differences she has observed between MBA study in Hong Kong and Singapore.

Currently, CUHK MBA’s students are from more than 20 countries. Yet, her vision is bigger. “My primary task is to further enhance the diversity of the School’s MBA and master’s classes by attracting more international students to study at CUHK Business School, not only from Asia but also from Europe and the America. Imagine how students could move forward to the next stage in their life and garner a global perspective without a diverse classroom?” said Villemagne.

In addition, Villemagne disclosed that CUHK Business School plans to roll out a pre-experience master’s in management program in 2018. “This is a trend in business education. The master’s in management program targets Bachelor of Arts and Science undergraduate students who do not have any work experience. As some employers demand their employees to have certain knowledge in business and management, this program could help the students utilize what they have learnt from the university in the actual business environment. For these students, they lack work experience for pursuing an MBA and thus the master’s in management can help fill the gap,” Villemagne elaborated.

Prior to joining CUHK Business School, Villemagne worked as Global Director of the MBA program at INSEAD for a decade in France and Singapore. She is also an EMBA graduate of the business school. Villemagne pledged to bring her experience of internationalization from INSEAD to CUHK Business School. “CUHK Business School has a world-class program, faculty and alumni network, and it has a long and esteemed heritage. Its history is even longer than that of any universities in Singapore. What CUHK needs is promotion. We will make every effort to increase the CUHK brand’s visibility and turn it into a famous one outside of Hong Kong and Asia. As long as we have a reputable brand, we can attract outstanding students. It is just a matter of time. We have a solid foundation, and I am sure that we can achieve that goal,” Villemagne added.

Commenting on the increasing competition among different business schools in the region including the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, Villemagne thought that competition is healthy and every business school has its own unique selling points. “The business schools from the United States have lots of business cases, and they think they know Asia very well but actually they don’t. CUHK Business School has the knowledge to teach students about Asia and China and even the world. When everyone in the world keeps their eyes on Asia, they must come to Hong Kong and study here to tap into the huge opportunities available in the fast-growing economy,” she stated.

Villemagne also shared with Sing Tao Daily News in the interview regarding her views on the frenemy cities – Hong Kong and Singapore. She said that in the past, she thought Singapore was more internationalized than Hong Kong since both are international cities. However, Villemagne has changed her mind after having relocated to Hong Kong. “This is really a perception issue as many westerners think it is more convenient to live and work in Singapore than Hong Kong. Some of them even think that they couldn’t survive in Hong Kong without Cantonese. Actually, I have been in Hong Kong for a couple of months and there is no problem for me to only speak English for daily communication. I am French and I can tell you that you couldn’t survive in France if you could not speak any French.”

“Hong Kong has a unique position as a gateway between China and the West, and this is irreplaceable by Singapore. I also feel that Hong Kong is more vibrant. As the pillar of Hong Kong, CUHK MBA will maintain its position as a gateway where East meets West. We will continue to strengthen the program to nurture the next generation business leaders and teach them how to work, live and do business with people around the world,” Villemagne added.

Media: Sing Tao Daily News
Section: Daily Magazine
Date published: 18 July, 2016