Smith School to Launch Shanghai EMBA & Custom MBA Program for Otis Elevator China

The University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business has announced its intent to expand the Smith Executive MBA (EMBA) program in China to include Shanghai beginning in November 2005. The school also custom MBA program for Otis Elevator China, one of the fastest growing multinational corporations in China. The announcements were made in Shanghai, where Smith School Dean Howard Frank is currently participating in an Asian economic development mission led by Maryland Governor Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr.

Smiths planned Shanghai EMBA program follows the successful launch of the Smith Executive MBA program in Beijing in January of 2003. Like the Beijing program, the Shanghai EMBA will be delivered by the world-renowned faculty of the Smith School. The innovative, 18-month EMBA program is designed specifically for mid-to-senior level executives.

The launch of the Smith Schools Beijing EMBA program was an exciting milestone for Smith as it marked our entry into the China market. The success of that program has given the Smith School a great deal of momentum to expand our offerings in China and we intend to make Shanghai a major base of operation for our continued expansion, said Howard Frank, Dean of the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business.

Otis was one of the earliest multinational companies operating in China, installing the first elevator in China around 1900. Today, with around 7,000 employees in China, Otis is the largest elevator and escalator manufacturers in China and installs and maintains its products in more than 100 Chinese cities.

It is not only the multinationals like Otis that are growing their businesses in China. Chinese companies are also experiencing rapid growth and are beginning to expand into international markets. This has created a great demand for professionally trained executives who can operate effectively in an international environment, said Dean Frank. We are pleased to be in a position to expand our EMBA offerings in China so that we can empower executives with the knowledge and expertise they need in order to fully capitalize on these opportunities.

In 2002, the Smith School partnered with Chinas University of International Business and Economics (UIBE) to deliver its Beijing EMBA program, which is authorized by Chinas Ministry of Education and the Degree Granting Committee of the State Council.