By Chris Betros

Executive Impact Nov. 17, 2009 - 09:56AM JST ( 11 )

The Manchester Business School is the largest campus-based business and management school in the UK. It also has a campus in Hong Kong, which is proving popular with Japanese students.

Japan Today hears more from Nigel Banister, Chief Global Officer and CEO of Manchester Business School Worldwide.

How many students do you have at Manchester Business School (MBS) in Hong Kong?

There are currently 400 students in our East Asia Centre in Hong Kong.

From how many countries do your students come?

Japan, South Korea China and of course Hong Kong are all represented in the current student demographic of the East Asia Centre. We welcome applications from all over the region. We also have regular visits from students based in our other learning centers around the world. Our flexible and international approach to study is one of our key strengths, and is particularly useful for those who travel with work and find themselves all over the world.

What percent are Japanese?

Currently, around 10-15% of each intake are from Japan.

I understand there is a visiting Student Scheme designed specifically for Japanese students. Can you tell us a bit about that?

MBS offers blended learning opportunities for students across the region. The flexibility of the course allows students residing outside of Hong Kong to visit the center when their schedule allows. We find that on average, our students from Japan visit the East Asia Centre twice a year to interact face to face with their peers and MBS professors; and an eclectic cohort of students from all over the world. Home learning through the rest of the course is self study and web-based teaching, combined with regular faculty contact throughout.

We have eight other centers around the world, which means students can learn at any of our campuses and continue their MBA studies, despite their rigorous travel schedule.

Are you offering the same undergraduate and postgraduate courses as the Manchester Business School at the University of Manchester campus in the UK?

The MBA gained in East Asia Centre is absolutely identical to that which we award in Manchester and the full time MBA program. Our East Asia Centre is entirely MBS-owned. It is not a partnership or out-sourced agency. We presently only offer Global MBA programs from our East Asia Center.

What is the image of Manchester Business School in Asia?

There are two key points. Firstly, the name of Manchester is synonymous with successful sporting teams. It was the first industrial city in the world and is a regional capital of Europe. It has an incredible reputation as a city, particularly among the business engineering sector. Secondly, we are known as one of the leading business schools in the world and our programs are known for being truly international, flexible and of the highest quality (we are accredited by AMBA, AACSB & EQUIS, all three of the major bodies). This is very topical and relevant because executives need local and global perspectives. That’s exactly what we offer, and that’s why I would say our image is one of an industry leader

How do you market the school in various Asian countries? Online or in magazines?

We advertise in leading print, online media and professional journals across the region and contribute editorially whenever an opportunity arises for our visiting professors to add comment and insight. Many within our faculty are global thought leaders and are in regular demand by news broadcasters across the region.

We also conduct regular seminars and informal gatherings for alumni, current and prospective students to meet our team. We recently held one such seminar in Japan and full listings can be found on our website, http://hongkong.mbs-worldwide.ac.uk/.

What sort of student support services do you offer? In how many languages?

Our teaching and support is conducted in English, though staff in our regional offices speak many languages. In addition, we offer a comprehensive student support service online and face-to-face. Regular meetings and evaluations sessions are held to check study progress.

Does the school also offer customised executive training, business research and consultancy services?

Manchester Business School is a research-driven school. In order to keep teaching relevant, we relate much of our teaching to real life examples, and the best way of doing this is through world class research. We call this “The Manchester Method”—learning by doing, and it forms part of what gives us our world-class reputation. We conduct considerable executive training activity, and in fact our faculty are actively engaged in international consultancy as part of their working remit.

How can students apply to study at Manchester Business School in Hong Kong?

The best way for students to apply for the part-time MBA program is online at www.mbs-worldwide.edu.hk/. There you will also find a wealth of information about our worldwide teaching, and what makes Manchester Business School the perfect choice for MBA learning. Alternatively, prospective students can telephone the East Asia Centre in Hong Kong where our team will be able to assist with inquiries.  Our director visits Japan regularly to arrange personal consultative meetings with students in Japan.

Where can they see orientation presentations?

Before the start of each semester, we offer new student induction activities (indoor, outdoor and online) to get used to the school systems as well as the fellow classmate they will be studying with. Outdoor team building exercises offer opportunities for new students, from different countries and backgrounds, to learn about strengths/weaknesses, problem solving skills etc.

In addition, online induction activities help new students familiarize themselves with the innovative blended learning approach. 

What is a typical day for you?

Much like the MBA course, my job is truly international. Wherever I am in the world (and I travel a lot), I am governed by time zones. Typically from my office in Manchester, I will spend the morning liaising with our Asia operations, largely in Hong Kong, Singapore. Lunch is usually the time for me to look at any research or academic matters, and as the sun sets in Asia and the Middle East, it rises in the U.S. and South America, where we are currently in the middle of exciting openings in Florida and partnership agreements in Brazil. My days are always busy, but equally interesting, not least because I find myself speaking with so many interesting people from all over the world – colleagues, students, alumni, prospective students and corporations.

For more information, visit http://www.mbs-worldwide.edu.hk