Leading business schools that nurture innovative business leaders with a global vision

The nature of work is continuously evolving. New technology is frequently being woven into the fabric of the business world, while globalisation means it’s essential to upskill and remain competitive. Entrepreneurship’s importance to the economy cannot be ignored, while new technological waves such as Big Data and FinTech are revolutionising the way the world and businesses operate.

In light of these changes, university graduates and working professionals may want to acquire new skills and gain expertise in an area of business to stand out from the crowd. One of the best ways of doing so is with a postgraduate degree in preparation for the new age of work. This will enable individuals to grow in their personal and professional capacity, stay agile and continue to apply their skills across a wide range of business settings.

While business graduate schools are aplenty, what makes some of them stand out from others are international opportunities to study, work and travel abroad, such as via international collaborations with foreign partner universities that nurture an understanding of different cultures and helps them grow their network.

Source: Lee Kong Chian School of Business

Asia, a booming economic hub, is home to some of the region’s top business schools that prepare graduates to adapt to the challenges of the new world of work. For international students looking to launch their careers in Asia, here are four universities in the region that are delivering cutting edge knowledge and catapulting students towards future business success:

SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, HONG KONG BAPTIST UNIVERSITY (HKBU) – HONG KONG

If you’re looking for a university that delivers world-class teaching and research, HKBU’s School of Business fits the bill. Recently, the school was ranked 60^th in the world in the Times Higher Education World University Impact Rankings 2019, also standing among Asia-Pacific’s top 25 business schools 2018 according to the Financial Times. This acknowledges the quality of the school’s postgraduate programmes.

The school is also among the one percent of business schools worldwide – and the only business school in Hong Kong – with triple accreditation by three leading global accreditation bodies: AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business), AMBA (Association of MBAs) and EQUIS (European Quality Improvement System), further cementing its status as a premier business school in the region.

Source: HKBU, School of Business

Programmes here prepare ethical and agile students who can adapt to change, become critical thinkers and learn through evidence-based learning. The courses also focus on developing students’ soft and hard skills for holistic development.

Postgraduate students can choose from the school’s innovative joint degree programmes with leading international universities, including the joint MSc in Global Marketing Management with the University of Sheffield in the UK, and a joint MSc in Entrepreneurship and Global Marketing with the Grenoble Ecole de Management in France. They’ve also launched two new programmes – MSc in Finance (FinTech and Financial Analytics) and MSc in Data Analytics and Business Economics (MScDABE) – to serve the increasing demand for talent in the new generation of Big Data and FinTech.

A testament to its prowess, the school boasts strong graduate employability rates thanks to its dedicated whole-person business education. Postgraduate scholarships are also available for talented international students.

SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, YONSEI UNIVERSITY – SOUTH KOREA

Yonsei – a private institution located in the sprawling metropolis of Seoul, in South Korea – is among the most prestigious universities in the country. More than 100 years old, its School of Business is committed in producing influential and pioneering research, developing creative and ethical business leaders with a global perspective.

One of the school’s strengths lies in its faculty who are experts in their field. Many are graduates of world-renowned universities such as Harvard, Yale, MIT and Columbia in the US, which means students will be learning and be supported by educators who are among the best.

Those interested in pursuing academic careers in teaching and research, or professional business careers, will find their Master’s and PhD programmes ideal as it fosters world-class scholars. These programmes have established the school as a leader in the country’s research activities, in addition to developing an expertise in finding jobs for graduates of these programmes. Students also have opportunities to study and research abroad at other elite universities, which the school holds partnerships with.

What’s unique is that students are given incentives for academic activities such as presentations at international conferences or publication of articles in respected academic journals, while financial support in the form of assistantships and/or scholarships will be given to all PhD students.

LEE KONG CHIAN SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, SINGAPORE MANAGEMENT UNIVERSITY – SINGAPORE

SMU’s strategic location in Singapore – a major business hub in Asia – makes it an ideal place for prospective international students to pursue their graduate studies in the field. Its Lee Kong Chian School of Business (LKCSB) has some 3,000 students and over 100 full-time faculty members with postgraduate degrees from renowned universities from the US and UK, including Cornell, Harvard, INSEAD, Oxford, Stanford and Yale.

Source: Lee Kong Chian School of Business

LKCSB offers a variety of Master’s and PhD programmes in a variety of disciplines, such as Communication Management, Quantitative Finance and Strategy and Organisation. Some of their programmes include the MSc in Quantitative Finance, MSc in Innovation and PhD in Business (General Management), among many others, while the school is also affiliated with a number of research centres such as the Institute of Service Excellence and the Centre for Marketing Excellence.

As a testament to its strength, the school received both the AACSB accreditation and a five-year EQUIS accreditation in 2011. For both accreditations, its website notes that the school has the distinction of being one of the youngest schools in the world to be accredited.  In June 2012, LKCSB also gained admission into the EMBA Council, joining the ranks of other internationally-renowned business schools.

INDIAN SCHOOL OF BUSINESS (ISB) – INDIA

India is a famous tourist destination, but the country is also home to the ISB, a private business school committed to creating leaders with global perspectives through innovative programmes, outstanding faculty and thought leadership.

Source: Indian School of Business

Future business leaders will find ISB, which is located in Hyderabad, attractive for numerous reasons. The school’s programmes focus on managing businesses in fast-evolving environments and strongly emphasizes entrepreneurship, the impact of technology on commerce and emerging markets. It also has a strong focus on research while the curriculum reflects best global practices and adopts an international perspective.

For instance, the International Student Exchange Programme gives students an opportunity to study for two terms at other leading business schools. The school has partnerships with 42 leading institutions from the US, France, South Africa, Israel, Germany, China, Pakistan and the UK for exchange. Meanwhile, research scholars from around the world visit ISB on long-term sabbaticals; visiting faculty from Wharton, Kellogg, London Business School, Cornell, Chicago, Duke, and UCLA teach at the ISB.

Programmes include a one-year Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGP), short-duration Executive Education programmes for middle and senior management (CEE), a part-time Post Graduate Programme in Management for Senior Executives (PGPMAX), a five-year doctoral-equivalent Fellow Programme in Management (FPM), and a Master’s level Programme for family business scions.

*Some of the institutions featured in this article are commercial partners of Study International

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