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Welcome to the
2023 UNICON Workshop
We, as educators, have a responsibility to guide our students to uncover opportunities and thrive despite the global uncertainties that we find ourselves in, while trying to make the world a better place. To do so, we must think globally, holistically and long-term, and most importantly, cooperatively since we all have our respective areas that we thrive in.
The 2023 UNICON Workshop will lead participants to explore how business schools can leverage globalization and partnerships to grow their executive education offering. The workshop will also identify potential opportunities in new segments and markets through cross-regional discussions, from Asia to Europe and the Americas. We will explore how schools worldwide can re-engage China and other RCEP countries, who are the next generation of business leaders and how we can meet their needs, and how to create successful partnerships across countries and disciplines. During these discussions, we hope we can learn from each other—as our differences often spark new ideas and bring inspiration—and share our best practices.
Agenda – Day 1｜July 18, 8PM China Time (5AM PST / 8AM EST / 1PM GMT)
Re-Engage China and Asia for Executive Education
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20:00 – 20:05 Welcome Remarks: Welcome to the 2023 UNICON Workshop at CKGSB
Speaker:
- Melanie Weaver Barnett, Executive Director, UNICON
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20:05 – 20:25 Keynote Speech: Our Experiments and Innovations
Speaker:
- Xiang Bing, Founding Dean, Professor of China Business and Globalization, CKGSB
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20:25 – 20:40 Keynote Speech: Asia's Exponential Growth and Its Executive Education Opportunities
Speaker:
- Li Wei, Associate Dean for Asia and Professor of Economics, CKGSB
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20:40 – 21:40 Workshop I: Strategies for Re-Igniting Executive Education in Asia
5-min overview on the topic and questions by CKGSB Assistant Dean Zhou Li.
30-35-min small group discussions around these questions:
- What does your school see as the major trends in EE in your home market, in Asia and around the world (in terms of targeted clients, impact of geopolitics and technology, and other aspects that you consider important)?
- How important is the Asia market in general and China market in particular to your school?
- What topics are your targeted clients most interested in about Asia?
- What topics are your targeted Asian clients most interested in when it comes to your home country?
- How do you modify your program design for clients from Asia and other parts of the world?
- What are the most effective ways of promoting your programs in Asia and in other parts of the world?
- Anything else you would like to share with the rest of the participants in this workshop?
20-min learning and sharing facilitated by Zhou Li
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21:40 – 21:45 Day 1 Conclusion by emcee
*Agenda and speakers are subject to change.
Agenda – Day 2｜July 19, 8AM China Time (July 18, 5PM PST / July 18, 8PM EST / July 19, 1AM GMT)
Executive Education for the Next Generation of Business Leaders
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8:00 – 8:05 Day 2 Introduction
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8:05 – 8:20 Digital Marketing and the Changing Consumer
Speaker
- Li Yang, Associate Professor of Marketing, Executive Academic Director for Executive MBA and Executive Education Programs, CKGSB
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8:20 – 9:20 Workshop II: Educating the Next Generation of Leaders
5-min overview on the topic and questions by CKGSB Associate Director of Executive Education Dulce Qu
30-35-min small group discussions around these questions:
- What are your target audience(s) and student profiles for EE programs?
- Do you see any changes in the profile (age group, gender, industry, country and region, etc.) of your target audience? If yes, do you think these changes represent new trends?
- Are you targeting Gen Z for your EE programs? If so, what types of programs are you teaching them?
- Do you see significant variation in the needs of your target audience(s)? If so, what are they? Do we see new demands emerging?
- Can you share some best practices of how you have been updating your EE programs for this new landscape?
20-min learning and sharing facilitated by Dulce Qu
-
9:20 – 9:25
*Agenda and speakers are subject to change.
Agenda – Day 3｜July 20, 8PM China Time (5AM PST / 8AM EST / 1PM GMT)
Achieving Globalization for Executive Education through Collaboration
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20:00 – 20:05 Day 3 Introduction
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20:05 – 20:20 Global Digital Transformation and the Future of Work: How AI and Digital Transformation is Changing the Global Labor Market
Speaker:
- Sun Tianshu, Professor of Information Systems, CKGSB
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20:20-20:30 Building Human Capital Through Experience: How to Make It Pay for Employees and Employers
Speaker:
- Kanmani Chockalingam, Fellow, McKinsey Global Institute
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20:30 – 21:15 Panel Discussion: Globalization through Collaboration
Panelists:
- Shantanu Bhattacharya, Professor of Operations Management, Lee Kong Chian School of Business, Singapore Management University
- Camelia Ilie Cardoza, Dean Executive Education & Strategic Innovation, INCAE Business School
- Mike Malefakis, President, University Partnerships, Emeritus (former Wharton Executive Education CEO and Associate Vice Dean)
Moderated by:
- Li Haitao, Associate Dean and Dean’s Distinguished Chair Professor of Finance, CKGSB
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21:15 – 21:25 Break
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21:25 – 22:25 Workshop III: Nurturing A Better World through Collaboration
5-min overview on the topic and questions by CKGSB Assistant Dean Ji Bo
30-35-min small group discussions around these questions:
- How do you define globalization for EE programs (e.g. inbound/outbound programs, programs for global audience, digital programs, etc.)? How important is it for your school?
- Is digitalization affecting the way we embrace globalization?
- When expanding your global footprint, what are some key factors that will affect your decision-making (such as geopolitical, demographic or economic factors)?
- Are you achieving globalization by partnering with other schools or institutions? If so, how are you choosing partner schools? What are some key challenges you have encountered when you partner with others?
- Are there any common topics/interests (such as ESG, climate change and digitalization) across audiences that you factor in when designing global programs?
20-min learning and sharing facilitated by Ji Bo
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22:25 – 22:35 Closing Remarks for 2023 UNICON Workshop
Speaker:
- Shalini Bhatia, Director, Programs, Executive Education, Stanford Graduate School of Business
- Devin Bigoness, Chief Client Officer and Executive Director, Darden Executive Education & Lifelong Learning, Darden School at the University of Virginia
*Agenda and speakers are subject to change. Speakers below are listed in alphabetical order.
Speakers
Melanie Weaver BARNETT
Executive Director, UNICON
Shalini BHATIA
Director, Programs, Executive Education, Stanford Graduate School of Business
Shantanu Bhattacharya
Lee Kong Chian Professor of Operations Management, Deputy Dean (Education), LKCSB, SMU
Camelia ILIE
Full Professor, Dean of Executive Education and Strategic Innovation, and Chair of the Center for Inclusive and Sustainable Leadership at INCAE
Dennis Lanham
Sr. Assistant Dean and Executive Director, Silicon Valley Executive Center
LI Haitao
Dean's Distinguished Chair Professor of Finance, Associate Dean for Degree Programs, Associate Dean for Alumni Affairs and the Development Foundation, Director of the Family Business Research Center, Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business (CKGSB)
PhD, Yale University
LI Wei
Professor of Economics, Associate Dean for Asia, Director of the Case Center, Director of China Economy and Sustainable Development Center, Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business (CKGSB)
LI Yang
Associate Professor of Marketing, Academic Director for Executive Education Programs, Academic Director for MBA Program, Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business (CKGSB)
PhD, Columbia Business School
Kanmani Chockalingam
Fellow, McKinsey Global Institute
SUN Tianshu 孙天澍
Visiting Professor of Information Systems, Director of the Center for Digital Transformation, Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business (CKGSB)
XIANG Bing
Founding Dean, Professor of China Business and Globalization, Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business (CKGSB)
PhD, University of Alberta
Registration Information
Fee $150 USD
(The UNICON Workshop is open only to individuals who are employed by UNICON member schools.)
