Natsume targets Non-Japanese consumers

9.7

Rating

Natsume is a brand that we have been following since its inception. Founded by 4 MBAs from Tokyo,Natsume is developing a unique 100% made in Japan collection.

McKinsey keeps on telling that 10 exceptional luxury brands will emerge from Asia and we have no doubt that Natsume is one of them. 

The Asia Career Times believes that this company can go very far has they could meet current luxury requirements:

• Quality (using Japan high requirements)
• Authentic (100% of the design, materials (including Japanese laquer and silk) and handcraft is made in Japan) 
• Focus (they do not target massive sales and jump on China, they are very focused on their Niche)
• Slow Growth (Luxury Marketing is really different from other products and going too fast can make your product appear like a very common item)

For those reasons we believe that people interested in a career in Luxury should always keep an eye on Natsume.

Nastume can be visited at http://natsume-japon.com

4 Asian Business Schools team up to tap U.S. students

U.S. and European business schools have long attracted a global portfolio of applicants, riding on a reputation of being the best in the world. Now Asian business schools are hoping to swipe some of the world’s best and brightest students as Asian nations stake their claim in a global economy.

For years, Asian business schools have enrolled mostly students from the region, but now they’re aggressively recruiting Western applicants to improve their world-wide reputations and attract a broader swath of corporate recruiters.

“As long as the Asian economy is outgrowing the western economy, Asian business schools have an opportunity to catch up” to western ones, says Nunzio Quacquarelli, managing director of London-based QS Quacquarelli Symonds Ltd., which runs business-school fairs and conducts research on higher education.

But with many of the schools just 10 or 20 years old, some doubt the Asian institutions will overtake heavy-hitters like Harvard Business School, University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School or London Business School in clout and reputation any time soon.

There’s still “some work to be done” before the Asian schools can claim comparable strength in faculty and infrastructure, Mr. Quacquarelli says.

That hasn’t stopped four top schools—China Europe International Business School in Shanghai, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Nanyang Business School in Singapore and Indian School of Business in Hyderabad—from teaming up to tap U.S. students. Though they are competitors for local applicants, the group effort provides more traction in the newer markets, the schools say.

Among their outreach efforts over the past two years: joint information sessions at business education fairs across North America and Western Europe to talk about the Asian business-school experience at large, rather than their own individual programs; and hosting Western admissions counselors on their campuses.

The lackluster U.S. and Western European job market has already enticed some students with prospects of greener economic pastures in cities like Singapore and Shanghai, while others seek more global experience.

Denise Pu, 28 years old, opted for CEIBS after also being admitted to Columbia Business School, saying she wanted to gain global exposure while establishing her career in international finance.

Ms. Pu, who was born in Taiwan, grew up in Palo Alto, Calif., and speaks Mandarin, will graduate from CEIBS in 2012. She is currently interviewing for a commercial bank’s rotational training program to be a country-level chief executive.

Still, getting an M.B.A. in Asia doesn’t guarantee a job there. In the past three or four years, Mandarin fluency has become more of a necessity for those seeking to stay in China, says Steven DeKrey, senior associate dean at HKUST. Students who don’t even speak the language a little “struggle a little bit on the career services side,” he says.

The issue is particularly common for companies based in China or with a large Chinese staff or customer base.

To ensure its international students are employable locallymarkets, CEIBS requires Mandarin lessons, with a one-month immersion program before classes begin and a part-time class for at least a year. Other schools also encourage language training.

But even without additional language skills, schools say students can land jobs in finance and energy in Asia, or with regional companies looking to expand into international market, like the U.S. and Europe.

The schools, however, still have a way to go before they reach a critical mass of Americans and other Westerners.

Just 5% to 8% of Nanyang’s students are American citizens, and Indian School of Business, about 5% of the class is international. At CEIBS, about 40% of the student body is international, with one-third of that from the Americas. And at HKUST, which had almost no international students when Mr. DeKrey joined 16 years ago, Americans comprised 14% of the student body this year, second only to Chinese.

CEIBS wants to bring more women, entrepreneurs and young talent to its MBA

CEIBS MBA Admissions Office has announced that the school’s MBA Programme will provide more scholarships to outstanding candidates in the MBA 2012 admissions season, with optimized combinations and increased coverage compared to previous years.

The scholarships to be increased are:

• CEIBS Excellence Scholarship
• CEIBS Merit Scholarship
• CEIBS Women Leadership Scholarship
• CEIBS Entrepreneurship Scholarship
• CEIBS Young Talent Scholarship

Special attention is to be given to the Women Leadership Scholarship, Young Talent Scholarship, and Entrepreneurship Scholarship. The Women Leadership Scholarship supports CEIBS commitment to increasing the number of female leaders in business. Candidates for this scholarship should exhibit exemplary leadership in at least one of the following: academic leadership, team leadership, community leadership, creative leadership and professional/personal achievements. Merit scholarships will be awarded to recognize outstanding women, and their financial situation may also be taken into consideration.

The Young Talent Scholarship aims to identify talented and ambitious young people. Candidates for this scholarship will need to demonstrate outstanding academic achievements and measurable personal achievements, as well as strong leadership potential. Preference will be given to candidates who require financial assistance.

The Entrepreneurship Scholarship will be awarded to deserving candidates who, through their experience prior to CEIBS, demonstrate entrepreneurial talent. Candidates of any nationality, who show entrepreneurial potential and a capacity for creativity, innovation, and enthusiasm through entrepreneurial activity, will be eligible.

In line with CEIBS focus on students Einternationalization and diversity, CEIBS MBA Scholarships Committee will review applicants’ academic and professional achievements, personal accomplishments, interview performance and potential contributions to the MBA programme. Successful candidates will automatically be considered for the above scholarships, and there is no need for a separate application.

Student Who Switched From Distance-Learning To Full-Time MBA

This story has been published on businessbecause.com the first specialist network connecting business students, recruiters, business school applicants and business schools around the world. BusinessBecause and Ajisai, the company managing The Asia Career Times will soon release a new platform for jobs, network and career news in Asia called CareerBecause.Asia 

Adelaine Yeo started off on Warwick Business School’s distance-learning MBA but switched to the full-time MBA halfway through. She speaks to BusinessBecause about her motivations for making the swap.

Adelaine, 31, first studied electronic engineering at The Tunku Abdul Rahman College in Kuala Lumpur, she says that this degree was more for practical reasons. “In the 90s, the hype was all about the electronic sector in South East Asia with many big manufacturers and multi-national corporations moving their production to Malaysia. EThere was also a shortage of engineers and Adelaine saw that an engineering degree could be useful on the commercial side as well.

She then studied for her Bachelors at the University of Lincoln which had a Malaysian campus partnered with KDU a Malaysian college. During her internship in her final year she discovered that technical work was not for her. “I found it too mundane. When I graduated I thought it would be good to try something more people-oriented so I applied for a position in marketing with a manufacturing company for industrial equipment. E/p>
This manufacturing company was part of a group of SMEs with a diverse portfolio, private equity-backed. Adelaine spent more than nine years in the group, moving from marketing into more start-up oriented roles. “The aim was to get new business ventures for the group going. This brought about the birth of a import-export company for consumer goods in Malaysia and Singapore, which we eventually sold. E

Adelaine’s last role for the company was to co-ordinate the integration of a new subsidiary in Germany for the manufacturing company which she had first worked for. “The responsibility was a combination of market development in Europe and aligning the new company’s operations to those of the Malaysian headquarters. E

Moving to Germany for her job left Adelaine with a lot of time: “Working in Asia in general means longer working hours; there is also a lot of socialising after work. I suddenly found spare time on my hands and decided to do something productive with it. Otherwise it would have been spent at the pub! EAn MBA was something Adelaine had always considered but never had enough time to devote to it.

[sws_pullquote_right] Success could only come out of self-discipline, making the time to allocate to study but with so much going on [/sws_pullquote_right] Adelaine knew it needed had to be a distance-learning programme, preferably in Europe for proximity. “I had work commitments and the main aim was to fill up my spare time after work. I also could not afford to take a year plus away from work. I also wanted something which was well recognised and did not require that I sell my kidney to finance it, since I would have to pay for it myself. Surprising such basic criteria narrowed the search down to very very few programmes and Warwick Business School came out on top. E

Distance-learning MBA students at an on campus module

There were fewer business schools offering distance-learning MBAs in 2007 and Adelaine found most of them operated out of the United States so Warwick Business School was the only school Adelaine applied to. WBS had great rankings for distance-learning programs and had a long history in offering the programme and importantly it was affordable. “In retrospect, I would have still chosen it based on the same criteria but there would now be more schools to compare. E/p>
So, Adelaine was now accepted onto the Warwick MBA and had to find the right work-study balance. “I greatly underestimated the time that I would need to put into it. The first year was such a big struggle to get the hang of having to study again. As my first degree was in engineering I had a very tough time figuring how to answer in the right style. E

Success could only come out of self-discipline, making the time to allocate to study but with so much going on, “I tended to forget most of what I studied at the beginning of the year by the time exams came along. E

Two of the compulsory modules were exam-based and Adelaine found it nerve wracking to have to sit exams again. “Having said that, year two was much better after I got the hang of it. It was significantly easier and I had a better sense of how to manage my time.” Adelaine says she was not alone in having underestimated the workload: most of the cohort had a very demanding work-load and family, and “especially those with young children found that it was not as easy as we all had thought to juggle everything. E

The Warwick Business School MBA in fact has three study modes: distance-learning, executive and full time.

The Executive MBA is a mode of study for people who can take some bulks of days off. “It is three years like distance-learning but modules are delivered in intensive face to face classes. ESome of Adelaine’s distance-learning classmates had chosen to switch to the Executive MBA as they found the distance-learning was not suitable to their other commitments but they could afford to take a week-off from work.

The group bonding over dinner

Adelaine switched to the full-time MBA as she found that she could “finally Efinancially afford to take six months off work. “Many of us are often nostalgic about the good old university days and this was a great opportunity to re-live them. My task in Germany was almost done and I thought this would be a great way to take a breather from working life and try something different after graduation. E/p>
The company Adelaine had worked for for nine years were understanding and so Adelaine “just took a leap. E

Having been both a full-time MBA student and a distance-learning MBA student Adelaine says both have their pros and cons and ultimately it is down to what suits you at that period of time.

Distance-learning has many more students from a more diverse, and generally older backgrounds. “Distance-learning students also tend to cluster more, I guess you desire more peer support and interaction in these programmes. The participants are also more focused and are in similar situations of juggling multiple commitments and this helps to bind peer groups together. E

The full-time MBA was “more relaxed and more fun. There was much more time to enjoy the life of a student than cramming it into the one or two times that we meet in a year for on-campus courses. EFor Adelaine it was a chance to relish being a student again, enjoying many of the activities organised by the class.

She found the full-time MBA classes easier to follow, more interactive, and many of the classmates had business experience relating to that particular topic. However the breadth and depth of the syllabus is wider in distance-learning and “you can really expand your knowledge without having to follow the speed of others.

Camping out in the kitchen to meet those all-important deadlines!

The biggest test of the MBA was being placed in groups: “Sometimes you were given a group of people that you could work seamlessly with and other times you are designated a group that made you wonder why you were there. EAdelaine quotes John Donne’s ‘No man is an island Eand jokes that the face-to-face modules really proved this to be true.

Having just completed her project and dissertation, Adelaine is now back in Malaysia for a break before starting her job search about which she is realistic. “To be really honest, I don’t expect that the MBA will be the magic pill to drastically change my life or career. But it is a life changing experience. For me it was really enriching and enjoyable. As for the MBA’s long term benefits. It is too early to tell but it was a really good experience which I would gladly do again. E

No-one wanted to be the first to take the mic at the MBA karoke…

Rachel Killian, Marketing and Recruitment Manager for theWarwick MBA says that: “However you study at Warwick, you follow the same core curriculum and have access to around 50 different electives all offered in a variety of formats. This means students have a great amount of flexibility in their studies and allows them to either speed up or slow down their studies, switch between different delivery routes or just take one or two of their electives in a different format.

“We believe that everyone should have a chance to reach their potential no matter what challenges might arise from changes to either their professional or personal lives. So a student only half-way through their full-time programme who is offered a job of a lifetime on another continent can finish their MBA by distance learning, or if a promotion and a new baby come along at the same time for an Executive MBA student, then they can put their studies on hold for a month or two until they are ready to continue.

“Each year we have two or three students that swap in or out of the full-time MBA programme, with many more switching between either the distance learning or Executive MBA programmes. E/p>

“I still find that the best part of my MBA experience is the people that I met and the friends that I have made.”

CEIBS Hosts 7th Annual China Health Care Industry Forum, Focus on Emerging Markets, Emerging Innovation

Shanghai campus — CEIBS attracted a crowd of 300 health-care experts, academics, and members of the media to the 7th annual China Health Care Industry Forum. Focused on the theme of “Emerging Markets, Emerging Innovation, Ethis year’s forum featured 15 expert speakers during a full day of speeches, presentations and panel discussions.

In his Welcome Address, CEIBS Executive President Zhu Xiaoming commented on the critical importance of China’s health care reform in terms of directly impacting the well-being of China’s population, and promised guests and excellent lineup of speakers offering insight and advice from across a spectrum of perspectives. He thanked sponsors Lilly and Philips for their strong support.

CEIBS Executive President Zhu Xiaoming

CEIBS Vice President and Co-Dean Zhang Weijiong

Taking the stage as the event’s first Keynote Speaker, Professor Cao Rongui, Chairman of Chinese Hospital Association, spoke on “County-level Hospital Reform is the Key to Successful Hospital Reform. EBeginning by stating that 2011 is “crucial Efor public hospital reform, he emphasized that “we should shift our focus from large-scale hospitals in urban cities to county-level hospitals Ebecause these 20,000 hospitals serve the majority of the population.  Primary problems facing county-level hospitals today, he said, are: lack of sound management systems and governance mechanism, and insufficient government investment in hospitals, lack of qualified personnel, and low level medical technologies and poor quality of care.

Cao Rongui, Chairman of Chinese Hospital Association

Addressing these issues, he said, would require four steps: 1) recognition that county level reform is strategically important to public hospital reform; 2) tertiary hospitals must better assist county-level hospitals; 3) good practices in county-level hospital reform provide useful lessons for the reform of other hospitals, and 4) improvements to county level hospitals must match their individual circumstances and conditions.

“System Reform and Institutional Innovation” was the topic of the 2nd Keynote Speech, delivered by Wang Dongjin, Chairman of the China Medical Insurance Research Association; Deputy Directory, Subcommittee of Social and Legal Affairs, National Committee of the NPPCC. He stressed that although government expenditure on healthcare has increased from 3% to 6% of GDP, now reaching RMB2 trillion, problems persist in China’s healthcare system. He identified the need to separate the operation and regulation of hospitals, and to create independent cost centers in order to avoid conflict of interest . Also, hospitals should better incentivize excellent doctors in order to reward excellence and to end the current practice of doctors “moonlighting Ein order to earn extra income. Third, he said the industry must standardize the pricing and sale of pharmaceuticals, separating prescription from sales in order to end “over prescription E Patients in China use such treatments as IV drip and antibiotics at a far higher rate than elsewhere worldwide. Finally, laws regulating hospital management must be clarified, eliminating gray zones.

Wang Dongjin, Chairman of the China Medical Insurance Research Association; Deputy Directory, Subcommittee of Social and Legal Affairs, National Committee of the NPPCC

In his address on “Simple Analysis of the Peri-evaluation Hospital Evaluation Theory and its Implications, EProfessor Liu Tingfang, Director of Medical Research Center, Tsinghua University presented a system for hospital management evaluation that has been successfully introduced in Hainan. Prof Liu used a SWOT analysis of the framework as applied in Hainan province, showing that hospitals there improved vastly in nearly all measured aspects after one year of use. Based on this research, he recommended that China expedite the use of third-party evaluation of hospital management in China, then implement the peri-evaluation model and set up a long-term hospital management system. He ended with several inspiring quotes from well known leaders, telling the audience:  “Empty talk brings disaster to any country, only rolling up our sleeves will improve our nation Eand “All innovation begins with challenging mediocrity Eand finally: “Our revolution has not ended yet, comrades, we need to strike on.  E

Liu Tingfang, Director of Medical Research Center, Tsinghua University

Session II

Yu Hui, Senior Associate of the Institute of Industrial Economics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS); and President of ChagneCe Thinktank

The morning’s speeches ended with a Session on “Policy and Technology Innovation Emoderated by Professor Yu Hui, Senior Associate of the Institute of Industrial Economics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS); and President of ChagneCe Thinktank. As the session’s first speaker, Prof Gu Xin, Prof of Public Policy of School of Government, Peking University, discussed needed healthcare reforms drawing upon his experience as chief writer for Beijing Normal University’s  EProposal on China’s Health Reforms, Eas an invited consultant to the Chinese government.

Gu Xin, Prof of Public Policy of School of Government, Peking University

Next, Vice President of Lilly China Dr Julie Xing spoke on “International Experience on Pharmaceutical Market Access Eby identifying the main weaknesses in China’s market access for pharmaceuticals: lack of an independent drug valuation institute, opaque evaluation process, lack of comprehensive standard for innovative drugs, and no “fast track Eapproval for innovative drugs as compared with other countries.  As a possible solution, Dr Xing outlined the market access approval process used in France, which is transparent, uses a scientific evaluation system, uses an independent evaluation institute, and supports innovative drugs.

Vice President of Lilly China Dr Julie Xing

Professor Zhu Hengpeng, Director of Micro-economics Department and Public Policy Research Center, Institute of Economics of Chinese Academy of Social Science, next addressed the critical problems facing China’s health care industry. He named “over-prescription of drugs Eas one large-scale issue, blaming as root causes hospital monopoly of both treatment prescription and drug sales and the government’s  Eacit consent Eto hospitals profiting from drug sales. He said drug prices charged to patients include ‘hidden ’profits for hospitals. He said hospitals often keep “two sets of books Eto falsely claim low profits. To end this, he called for the clear separation of hospitals from drug sales and a strict and clear regulations forbidding physicians from accepting additional income beyond their official salary.

Zhu Hengpeng, Director of Micro-economics Department and Public Policy Research Center, Institute of Economics of Chinese Academy of Social Science

As the session’s final speaker, Desmond Thio, Senior Vice President, Philips, General Manager Healthcare Greater China delivered a talk on “People Focused, Healthcare Simplified.”He outlined Philips contribution to health-care reform in China, based on the company’s China-based health-care operations focusing on both manufacturing and R&D. Among the critical issues impacting health in China, he identified: aging society (from 2011 to 2020, China’s over-60 population will increase from 13% today to over 20%); high smoking rate (China is home to 1/3 of the world’s smokers);  Eremendous Eneed for trained medical personnel; and from 2009-2011, China plans to upgrade 2000 urban hospitals and 29000 rural health stations. In conclusion, he emphasized that Philips healthcare initiatives are “well aligned Ewith China’s healthcare reform in the focus on improving public hospital management and pricing; preventing and managing infectious and chronic disease; strengthening health-care services for women and children, encouraging private investment into the sector; and speeding county hospital reform. He was especially pleased to see government investment on healthcare reform increase from planned RMB850 billion during 2009-11 to RMB 1 trillion.

Desmond Thio, Senior Vice President, Philips, General Manager Healthcare Greater China

“Delivery and Payment Innovation”

The afternoon session on “Delivery and Payment Innovation, Emoderated by Professor Yu Wei, Sr Deputy Dean, School of Public Economics & Administration; and Director, Health Policy and Management Research Center, first featured speaker Lin Feng, Deputy Secretary-General, Zhenjiang Municipal People’s Government; Secretary of Party Committee, and Director of Zhenjiang Health Bureau focused on the need to shift improvement efforts too narrowly on urban hospitals to also “make sure the talent flows into the community level health care centers Eand initiating innovative efforts such as fighting chronic disease at the community health care center level. He said, “It is a tragedy that we are putting too much emphasis on the top-level facilities; we need to focus on the community level healthcare facilities. E

Session III

Yu Wei, Sr Deputy Dean, School of Public Economics & Administration; and Director, Health Policy and Management Research Center

Panelist Prof Wynand van de Ven, Professor of Health Insurance at Erasmus University (Rotterdam), offered a contrast between Asian and European health insurance practices, advocating the use of a third party rather than allowing government or insurers to determine insurance policy. He also stressed that individual citizens are often disadvantaged when seeking to wisely choose health insurance providers because of “asymmetrical information. EInstead, an informed neutral outside entity is better suited for this. He advocated the use of a “regulated competition model, Ewhich is now gaining popularity in other countries. Said Prof van de Ven, “You need a strong regulator who sets the rules for managing the industry. E

In his comments during the session, GAO Jiechun, Deputy Director, Shanghai Shenkang Hospital Development Center;  and Director, Hospital Management Institute at Fudan University pointed out the importance of IT in achieving successful  “managed regulation Eof China’s hospitals.  He also said that although China’s health-care system now includes good regulations and policies, “enforcement still poses some problems. EHe advocated focusing on “prevention of disease rather than only focusing on treatment of a disease. ELastly, he encouraged the use of ‘pre-payment Eas a better system than post-treatment payment, stating “I am very firm that this is the direction in which we should go – it is the only method that works in China. E

GAO Jiechun, Deputy Director, Shanghai Shenkang Hospital Development Center;  and Director, Hospital Management Institute at Fudan University

Sharing insight on the importance of new technology in improving healthcare service, Agfa HealthCare President Luc Thijs presented successful uses of IT advancements in Canada and other developed nations. He stressed the importance of obtaining all available information when offering healthcare service, then sharing information and discoveries. Finally, he introduced new initiatives in “e-Health Eand the use of e-commerce in health care services.

Agfa HealthCare President Luc Thijs

Offering another comparison between China and Europe, Care Ventures Founder and Executive Eric Souetre focused his talk on diagnostics, especially clinical laboratories. He urged both sides to collaborate to share information and leverage experience. First, he said Europe can offer to China the experience gleaned through laboratory research into diagnostics. “Although in Europe, we made many mistakes, we can transfer our learning and information to help China to avoid our mistakes, Ehe said. Secondly, both sides can share management capabilities. Finally, Europe can learn from China in terms of observing health-care development in a fast-changing environment, learning new methods of efficiency, and developing new IT systems.

China Health Care Summit Roundtable – Collaboration to Win

“China Health Care Summit Roundtable – Collaboration to Win,” was the theme of the forum’s final session, moderated by CEIBS Professor of Management and Director of the Center for Health Care Policy and Management Zhang Wei. Presenting first was Dr Yu Zhiwei, director of the Center for Project Supervision and Management, Ministry of Health of PRC, who shared his advice on public hospital reform. He emphasized the benefits of adopting a “clinical pathway system Eused in the West, which offers “blueprints specifying the compulsory or optional service items for a certain disease. ETo address aspects of China’s current healthcare system which are “not efficient and not safe, EDr Yu recommended establishing a “coordinate reform Eacross China’s urban and rural health care facilities, and strengthening healthcare system reform at the county level.

Session IV

CEIBS Professor of Management and Director of the Center for Health Care Policy and Management Zhang Wei

Kevin Schulman, Professor of Medicine & Gregory Mario and Jeremy Mario Professor of Business Administration; Director of Health Sector Management Center,  School of Business, Duke University spoke on “Technology and the Impact on Health Care Delivery. EBased on data from the US, Prof Schulman listed the following benefits of Health Information Technology: reduced hospital stays, improved patient safety, increased drug compliance, improved efficiency, and preventive care, knowledge synthesis and application and enhanced disease management and care delivery redesign. Dr Schulman gave examples of effective IT uses at Duke University, introducing the concept of “Meaningful Use Ewhich rewards IT technology for clearly benefiting patients according to specific measures.

Turning to the topic of “Uphold the Value of Physicians to Achieve a Win-win for All Parities, EDr Xiong Xianjun, Vice President & Secretary-General of the China Health Insurance Research Association; and Deputy Director, Institute of Social Security of Minister of Human Resources and Social Security stressed the need for reforming the governance of the value (or compensation) of physicians. He advocated eliminating ‘price distortion Ein the current income system for physicians, in which doctors are encouraged to seek illegitimate income to supplement low salaries. He also urged a separation of the management of physicians from the management of hospitals, adopting a freelance system, and a penalty system for such actions as bribe taking or improper pricing of drug treatments.

Xiong Xianjun, Vice President & Secretary-General of the China Health Insurance Research Association; and Deputy Director, Institute of Social Security of Minister of Human Resources and Social Security

As the final speaker of the day, West China Hospital President, Professor Shi Yingkang, delivered an address on “Information Revolution Fuels Healthcare Reform Eusing examples of Cloud Computing based on initiatives from Google and IBM. “The technology revolution is driving social reform and advancement, Ehe said. In terms of the health-care sector, a primary benefit so far has been “integration Eacross medical services, medical education, and medical research. He shared examples from India that offer mobile medical services via virtual online services.

Shi Yingkang, West China Hospital President

In closing, CEIBS Vice President and Dean John A Quelch delivered a videotaped message to participants emphasizing the commitment of the school to knowledge creation in the healthcare sector. “Probably the most important challenge faced in this industry is the ability to manage change – change in the systems and processes engaged in the creation of value in health care. EHe added that the purpose of CEIBS EHealth Care Policy Research Centre is to help “enable societies and enterprises to succeed Ein their endeavours to improve the health care sector. This requires “the bring together of individuals from across the industry, Efrom physicians, to hospital administrators, to researchers. “All of these people have a role to play. Accordingly, the heath care center at CEIBS is dedicated to that multidisciplinary approach as we seek to make CEIBS the leader in terms of health-care industry management and to innovate and develop new knowledge to enable Chinese citizens to live longer and healthier lives. E

Ending the day with a recap of lessons learned during the forum, CIEBS President Pedro Nueno commented that the day began by addressing some of the negative problems facing the industry, but said the speakers quickly rallied in order to look ahead toward positive developments and encouraging trends. He thanked the leaders of sponsor companies Lilly, Philips and Agfa in particular for focusing their discussion on sharing promising new innovations and technologies that are improving the healthcare industry worldwide, and in China. “Throughout  the forum, lead by our corporate sponsors, our speakers emphasized the ability of improvements and medical solutions, and focused on the need for regulation, ethics, transparency in the health care industry,  Ehe said. He also mentioned that the importance of IT, talent development, and collaboration also emerged as key themes for this year’s forum. He ended by promising participants that CEIBS will “continue to work hard to improve health care, which is one of the leading  sectors in the Chinese economy. The better we do in health care, the better for all of us. E

CIEBS President Pedro Nueno

The Turnaround of Indian Railways by Insead

The case describes the transformation of Indian Railways, the world’s largest employer with over 1.4 million employees, from near-bankruptcy to a profitable and viable business. We follow Sudhir Kumar, Officer on Special Duty to the Minister of Railways, as he deals with the various constituencies in this highly successful turnaround of a government-run institution.

Read the original:
The Turnaround of Indian Railways

MBA Student of the Week: Kunal Shah

Every week TACT invites one Student to share his/her MBA experience and vision of Asia by answering TACT 5Y questions. This week we are pleased to welcome Kunal Shah who is a London Business School 2012 student. To contact the MBA student of the week or to apply to be featured, send a mail to contact@theasiacareertimes.com

Your road to MBA:

I spent the early part of my life in India where I acquired my High School diploma from Cathedral and John Connon School in Mumbai. I completed my undergraduate studies in Marketing and Operations Management at Indiana University  EBloomington (U.S.A.) during which I also spent a semester abroad in Prague, Czech Republic. Upon graduation, I worked at United Airlines at the company’s headquarters in Chicago for 5 years, where I worked in Revenue Management (Pricing), Sales, and Distribution Strategy before moving to London to pursue my MBA at London Business School.

Your best experience:

My best experience was receiving the President’s Club award at United Airlines for outstanding performance and contribution to the company. As a result, I won a ten days, fully paid trip to the Ritz Carlton in Maui, Hawaii!

Having said that, winning the award was nothing in comparison to watching India win the cricket world cup live in Mumbai!

Your most important learning:

Adversity does not build character, it reveals it.

Your next steps:

I will be pursuing my summer internship (Summer, 2011) at Roland Berger Strategy Consultants in Dusseldorf, Germany.

Your vision for Asia:

The dependency on emerging markets such as that of India’s is becoming increasingly common across businesses in the developed world. I strongly believe that India (along with other developing Asian countries) will continue to strengthen her economic position on the International stage. However, India’s fate will depend not only the performance of the private sector, but also on the government’s ability to implement strong monetary and fiscal policies, develop high quality infrastructure, alleviate poverty levels and increase literacy.

Dean Christina Ahmadjian on the role of Hitotsubashi ICS MBA in Japan and the Tsunami aftermath

The Asia Career Times interviewed Christina Ahmadjian, Dean of Hitotsubashi University’s Graduate School of International Corporate Strategy ([sws_css_tooltip position="center" colorscheme="gray" width="300" url="http://www.ics.hit-u.ac.jp/" trigger="ICS" fontSize="14"]Visit Hitotsubashi ICS website [/sws_css_tooltip]) in Tokyo, Japan. Dean Ahmadjian holds a PhD in Organizational Behavior and Industrial Relations from the University of California at Berkeley (Berkeley, CA) and an MBA from Stanford University (Stanford, CA). We asked Dean Ahmadjian about the role of her school in Japan and the how the school is coping with the tsunami aftermath.

TACT: How does the Hitotsubashi ICS community react after the unprecedented series of earthquakes, tsunami and nuclear incident?
C. Ahmadjian: Our main priority in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake has been the safety and security of our students, in particular our international students. Things were especially difficult in the first few days of the nuclear crisis, as accurate and reliable information, especially accurate and reliable information in English, was difficult to find. Many of our international students returned to their home countries due to pressure from their families, who had been reading sensationalist and incorrect reports in the mass media. I am happy to say that 100% of our international students have returned for the start of classes.

As the situation in Tokyo has improved, our students are beginning on what I believe will be a long-term project in understanding the crisis and how we can learn from it to make the world a safer and healthier place, and to support victims of the crisis in rebuilding. Currently, a group of students is working on writing a case on the terrible response of Tokyo Electric Power to the nuclear disaster. I am hoping that we will be able to use this at ICS, and to make it available to other schools. Other students are putting together plans to mobilize other MBA students in Japan, to use their skills to put together plans for rebuilding, perhaps through a case contest. We are also trying to identify opportunities for our students to volunteer in the Tohoku region.

TACT: Hitotsubashi ICS recently signed an alliance with Seoul National University and Peking University, what is the vision behind this agreement?
[sws_pullquote_right]“As the situation in Tokyo has improved, our students are beginning on what I believe will be a long-term project in understanding the crisis and how we can learn from it to make the world a safer and healthier place, and to support victims of the crisis in rebuilding.” [/sws_pullquote_right] C.Ahmadjian: In January of this year, we signed the BEST Alliance, which is an alliance between Hitotsubashi Graduate School of International Corporate Strategy, Guanghua School of Management at Peking University, and the Graduate School of Business at Seoul National University. BEST refers to our three cities–Beijing, Seoul, and Tokyo. The agreement is a far-reaching agreement that promotes exchange of students and faculty, as well as close collaboration between the deans and administrative staffs of the three schools. Currently, we have student exchange programs between the three schools, and have initiated joint faculty research projects. We hope that soon we will be able to offer a double degree program with each of these schools. We are also discussing other programs, including study tours to each others’ schools, and an MBA program that would combine study at all three schools.
The vision behind this is to develop a distinctively “Asian” model of leadership and management, and to build a network of future leaders who will be able to be a bridge between these three important economies. Although East Asia plays an increasingly dominant role in the world economy, business education remains very North American. We see the BEST Alliance as an ongoing relationship, through which our three schools can work to provide an alternative to this North American model.

TACT: While the weight and impact of MBA in China is rising, Japanese MBA still remains at a confidential level on the world stage, how do you explain this?
C.Ahmadjian: The main reason is that the demand for MBAs by Japanese corporations is still very low. Unfortunately, many Japanese corporations do not see the need for MBAs, and prefer to train new university graduates in skills and competences specific to their firms. While Japanese firms have for a long time sent employees abroad for MBAs, the numbers have been decreasing, and many corporations see this as a kind of English training and networking opportunity.
We see that this trend has been reversing, and a number of leading Japanese companies, such as Kirin, Tokio Fire and Marine, and Mitsui Corp. send their top employees to ICS every year. They see the value of the education we offer in strategic thinking, financial analysis, and global management skills.
One problem is that many Japanese companies are allergic to the word “MBA” and envision greedy, disloyal people, who make poor employees. When I talk to companies, I try not to use the word MBA, and rather tell them that ICS develops global leaders, and teaches the skills that their firms need the most in today’s business environment. When they learn more about what ICS actually does, they become much more interested in sending their employees and hiring our graduates, but it requires a sales effort and careful explanation.

TACT: You are the first foreigner and also woman to be Dean of one Japanese national university school, how was it perceived in a country where women rarely reach top positions?
C.Ahmadjian: I don’t think anyone has really noticed. Since I’m a foreigner, no one notices that I’m a woman. And I think that people in the Japanese academic and business communities have learned to expect the unusual at ICS. I have been treated with only kindness and support–by our university, by the Ministry of Education, and by ICS’s many corporate partners.

TACT: What is your dream for your school?
C.Ahmadjian: To become a top-ranked global business school, distinguished by our small size, our cutting edge research on Japanese business, our excellent teaching, and our networks with Japanese and Asian business leaders and academics.

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Book of the Day: China Uncovered

Why you should read: China Uncovered, What you Need to Know to do Business in China

SHOULD YOU BE DOING BUSINESS IN CHINA? This is a question many businesses are asking, but not one with a simple answer. On the one hand, the opportunities are great; on the other, the complexities are many and China is changing so rapidly it can be difficult to keep up.

This insightful, knowledgeable and clear-headed book by China expert Jonathan Story helps you tackle this question from a well-informed perspective. It shows you how to think clearly about the implications of doing business in China, and how to maximise your chances of success if you do decide to go for it. UNCOVER THE ANSWERS TO ALL YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT DOING BUSINESS IN CHINA China Uncovered shows you: How to ensure your strategy reflects the pace of change, the unusual risks of operating in China and the business realities of this uncertain market. Why government relations must be a core part of your business – and how to make your relationships with officials productive and beneficial How to select the best way for your company to start business operations in China How to make the critical choice of location, taking account of a range of factors, from access to the attitudes of local authorities How to understand the cultural differences you will face so you can get the all-important ‘people issues Eright How to develop a dual sales strategy  Edomestic and export  Eso your operation is not totally reliant on a new and unpredictable market How to use your brand to keep ahead of your competitors How to think about the importance of China to your organisation as a whole

About the Author:

Jonathan Story is Emeritus Professor of International Political Economy at INSEAD. Prior to joining INSEAD in 1974, he worked in Brussels and Washington, where he obtained his PhD from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

His latest book is China UnCovered: What you need to know to do business in China, (FT/ Pearson’s, 2010) (www.chinauncovered.net) He is currently working on a new book, China in the World. His previous books include “China: The Race to Market E(FT/Pearsons, 2003) , The Frontiers of Fortune, (Pitman’s, 1999),; and The Political Economy of Financial Integration in Europe : The Battle of the Systems,(MIT Press, 1998) on monetary union and financial markets in the EU, and co-authored with Ingo Walter of NYU. The main theme linking this work has been the analysis of dynamic change in Europe, the world, and China and what the implications are for international business. His books have been translated into French, Italian, German, Spanish, Chinese and Korean. He is also a co-author in the Oxford Handbook on Business and Government(2010), and has contributed numerous chapters in books and articles in professional journals. He is a regular contributor to newspapers, and has been four times winner of the European Case Clearing House “Best Case of the Year Eaward. His latest cases detail hotel investments in Egypt and Argentina, as well as a women’s garment manufacturer in Sri Lanka and a Chinese auto parts producer.

At the INSEAD campus, in Fontainebleau and Singapore, he has taught European and world politics, markets, and business in the MBA, and PhD programs. He has taught on INSEAD’s Advanced Management Programme for three decades, as well as on other Executive Development and Company Specific courses. Jonathan Story works with governments, international organisations and multinational corporations.

He is married with four children, and, now, six grandchildren. Besides English, he is fluent in French, German, Spanish, Italian, and reads Portuguese. His hobby is singing.

Interested? Get this book by clicking on the link below

China Uncovered: What you need to know to do business in China (Financial Times Series)

Entrepreneurs: Born or Made? by Rupert Merson, Professor of Strategic and International Management and Entrepreneurship at LBS