Local knowledge is crucial, but an international perspective is what many international firms in China are looking for from the country’s business talents says Nigel Banister, Manchester Business School’s Chief Global Officer.
Banister gave a speech at the 2010 Manchester Innovation Awards in China earlier this month, where he pointed out Chinese business students "seemed to be short of international experience".
In top Chinese universities, most lecturers are Chinese and classes are taught in Chinese. Banister felt the lack of foreign language education could be a disadvantage for Chinese youth as "more business ideas are focused upon the Chinese market".
“Chinese companies are also expanding their business all over the world,” he said. “Therefore they will need people to go to Africa and the US. They need people who are not only familiar with local business but also comfortable working in a multi-cultural environment.”
However, Banister said things “will change”: “I know that there are more and more international students here and the government is putting more emphasis on international education.”
China out approximately 20 million students abroad in 2009, topping 2008’s 18 million, according to news agency Sohu.com.
BI Norwegian Helps Train China’s Future Executives
Since 1996, 240 students have came from China every year to receive business and management training at BI Norwegian School of Management. Of these, 85 per cent are middle managers in international companies that are establishing operations all over the world.
This program is set up between China’s Fudan University and BI, one of Europe’s largest business schools.
"We now have almost 15 years’ experience with this work and few other European management schools are as well-represented in China as BI,” says Tom Colbjørnsen, President of BI Norwegian School of Management.
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