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DIALOGUE: A Discussion with Ruby Chen of China Europe International Business School
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Leading the Way in Executive Education
 
altFor many years China Europe International Business School (CEIBS), with its campuses in Shanghai, Beijing and operations  elsewhere, has been leading the way when it comes to business and executive education. It is an organisation which prides itself on the vast expertise and business experience of both its Chinese and international staff. Ruby Chen is CEIBS’ Deputy Director of Executive Education. Not only is she an incredibly well informed and distinguished executive, she has a great deal of experience of working with international and domestic companies operating within the Chinese market. We spoke to Ms. Chen in order to gain an insight into recent developments at CEIBS and to share her expert analysis on the current business environment in China.
 
In brief, could you please start by telling our readers a little bit about your professional background and what you do at CEIBS?
Well, I started my career after completing my studies which included my undergraduate degree in International Trading, at Ming Chuan University (Taiwan) and my diploma in Mass Communication from the University of Leicester (UK). I have worked for several big name multinational firms, such as Atari, Zenith, Sourcing International and Novimex. My passion for helping others to develop their skills is what encouraged me to get involved in business education. In the past I served as Director of the McKinsey Leadership Institute in China and I have worked with a number of other business schools, including the Guanghua School of Management, at Peking University, where I was the Executive Director of Executive Development Programs.
 
I am very proud to be working at CEIBS, as the organisation’s Deputy Director of Executive education. Our executive education programs cover two broad areas ‘open enrolment’ and ‘company specific’. The open enrolment courses cover a wide range of modules, which have been designed by our professors and associates to educate senior executives and upcoming managers about various aspects of business, such as strategy, operations, supply chain management etc. But my main role at the moment is to work with companies and clients to design specific courses which suit their needs.
 
altTell us about the kind of students and clients who require CEIBS’ services. Which business sectors do they come from?
We have students who come to us from a wide range of backgrounds and business sectors including: consumer goods, IT, finance, pharmaceutical, transport, and manufacturing companies. Typically the kinds of individuals we have at CEIBS are business managers and executives who work for multinational companies here in China or in the Asia Pacific region. Many students enrol for our shorter courses in order to equip themselves with knowledge and skills that are needed to be a successful business leader in a certain area. However, we also have a number of clients which we have a long term, working relationships with, and they ask us to provide company specific training and to get involved in their operations here in China. For example, we have a program with L’Oreal which helps them to develop their upcoming managers. We have worked with them for almost 9 years now.
 
Other students we get enrolling are local Chinese entrepreneurs or managers within SOEs (State Owned Enterprises). Often individuals who are already successful, or certainly have great potential, ask us to help them in learning how to deal with management related issues in such a rapidly growing market and business environment.
 
altCan you give us an example of an interesting training methodology that CEIBS is utilising at the moment?
At the moment, one thing we are trying to do more of is what we call ‘action learning’. Firstly, we will ask the higher level managers of a company, such as CEOs and MD’s, to identify some topics or skills which they think would be most beneficial for their understudies to develop. Then whilst our students are taking part in the courses they are encouraged to hold frequent discussions with their superiors regarding their assignments and how to solve certain problems within the topic area they are studying. But the process also works both ways and students regularly report back their new ideas, based on what they have learnt with us. We often hear about how senior managers have accepted the student’s recommendations, and in doing so, it ultimately integrates them more closely into the social network within their company.
 
So our methodology is not just about students coming here and learning from our professors, it is a very interactive process.
 
altFrom your perspective, what are the main challenges that Chinese companies are facing in terms of maintaining and enhancing the skill sets of their managers?
The Chinese economy is growing so quickly and whilst there are plenty of great market opportunities out there, it is difficult for private and state owned companies to keep up with the fast pace of change. Even the SOEs, many of which have enjoyed a monopoly of their services in recent years, very much need to grow their employee’s skill set in order to stay competitive. One of the ongoing problems which Chinese companies face is that skilled executives and employees with a lot of potential are moving abroad or switching sectors. 
 
And moreover, for those managers who stay in China, it is important for organisations like CEIBS to train them on how to become ‘global managers’ so that they can compete with other people from elsewhere. I believe that as a business school we are in the best position to do this, because of our exceptionally talented team. For example, I know Business Tianjin magazine has interviewed Professor Wang Gao who is very experienced within the Chinese business environment and has also worked for Coca Cola in the US.
 
As time goes by, foreign companies are becoming increasingly keen for their executives to learn more about doing business in China. Which places, apart from China, is most of the demand for your school’s services coming from?
Demand is certainly increasing as China becomes more important as a global business setting. Companies from around Asia, including Korea, Malaysia, Japan, the Philippines and so on, are looking for organisations such as CEIBS, where they can send their upcoming managers, who have excellent track records of previous success, in order to learn more about managing a company here in China. We offer true Asia-Pacific orientated programs. Companies are keen to equip them with three key skill sets: general managerial skill upgrading, which includes aspects of leadership and strategy, understanding how marketing works within Chinese firms, and furthermore, preparing them to move higher up the command chain. In the latter case, our students are currently operations managers, for instance, but in order for them to move higher up within their company they need to learn more about finance. We give them the training which they need to enhance their overall management capabilities.
 
altSo moving on to the broader economic environment in China at the moment, what are your thoughts about the major challenges and the outlook for the coming years?
Well as you know, the economy is generally slowing down a little bit, but there are also some signs that things will pick back up again eventually. We have just had a change of leadership in China and I think the message from the new team has been very positive and encouraging. This will strengthen business confidence in China and I have no doubt that we will continue to be the economic growth engine of the world, for some time to come. There are certainly many challenges; namely in terms of utilising human capital, redistributing the nation’s wealth and being conscious of our consumption of natural resources. Overall however, I believe that the pragmatic approach of balancing growth with sustainability will strengthen China’s economic outlook. 
 
Also on the topic of the China’s economic future, one of the big talking points at the moment seems to be the need for a move away from exports towards a more domestic consumption based model. Do you think this is happening already?
Yes. I do think that exports will continue to play a leading part in the overall economy for a while. We just have to look at the numbers to realise that fact. I certainly agree 100% that more emphasis on domestic consumption is the right way forward, but we also need to focus on maintaining both our productive capacities for exports and the quality of the products we make. There is still enough cheap labour in China to keep our capacity for the manufacturing of basic consumer goods fairly high, but as wages are rising and the workforce is becoming more skilled, we have to become more competitive in the production of high tech consumer goods, pharmaceuticals and other advanced products. The key is not moving away from exports altogether, but upgrading our industrial capabilities in this sector.
 
Finally, can you tell us about some exciting projects CEIBS has lined up in the near future?
There are quite a lot of different projects that are ongoing right now and the growth we are experiencing is tremendous. About two years ago we opened a new campus in Beijing in which we are currently developing our facilities and the programs we offer. We also offer classes in Shenzhen and Accra, Ghana, with plans to build campuses in both locations. Those programs are not yet as big as our Shanghai and Beijing offerings, but there is a lot of potential for growth given the amount of industrial activity in those areas. Additionally, in terms of our Shanghai campus, we are expanding our capacity significantly. Next year we plan to double our current capacities and facilities, as well as improving the services we offer and the way we utilise advancements in technology, so it is a very exciting time for CEIBS! 
 
 

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