Smith EMBA Program Launches in Beijing

Classes kicked off April 12 in Beijing for the Smith School’s new cohort of executive MBA students in China. The Smith School partners with China’s University of International Business and Economics (UIBE) to offer the joint 18-month degree program. The partnership began in 2003 and relaunches this year after a four-year hiatus. The program focuses on executive coaching, entrepreneurship and global perspectives.

Greg Hanifee, assistant dean of executive programs at the Smith School, greeted the new class in an opening ceremony during the program’s first course session.

“I am tremendously excited this morning as we welcome you, the next group of executives, to the Smith School of Business’ Leadership EMBA in Beijing, China,” said Hanifee. “My hat goes off to the team in Beijing that brought together this impressive group of successful executives. I know many of you would be considered 'successful' already, but I can sense your drive to take your careers to the next level.”

The 20 students in the program hail from an impressive array of industries and leading companies, including Apple, Symantec, Sony-Ericsson, and Neusoft, China’s largest software integrator. They hold top roles in their companies, including owner, vice president, general manager, head of sales and HR director. Most students are from Beijing, but some travel to the Chinese capital from Guangzhou, Dalian and Tianjin for classes, which span four days, one weekend per month.

Smith School faculty members will travel to China to teach the majority of the courses at UIBE’s Beijing campus, with the remainder taught by UIBE faculty. Students will earn an MBA from the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business and a Certificate of Advanced Study in Management from UIBE.

The Smith EMBA program in China has strong ties with Smith’s EMBA program offered in College Park, Md. Students from College Park will have the opportunity to travel to China as part of their EMBA experience, and China EMBA students will complete their final course and capstone project in College Park in September 2013.

Like the Smith School's domestic EMBA – ranked among the top-25 in the U.S. by all major outlets that rank executive programs – the curriculum of the China program focuses on teaching business managers how to evolve as innovative global leaders. The program focuses on individual coaching for participants with an emphasis on leadership and innovation in China and Asia. Students will take classes in the core business disciplines. The program also incorporates an action-learning engagement projects, enables students to tie their work experience and needs to their classroom work during the program.

“I understand that the reputation of our Executive MBA program in College Park, MD attracted many of you to join us in this 18-month journey,” Hanifee said to the incoming class in China. “I couldn't be prouder of our program, and our staff both in Beijing and in College Park.”

He had a special thanks for UIBE and William Wang, assistant dean of executive programs, for his hard work and dedication to renew the successful partnership between the two schools.