China’s Leading Business School Hosts Event in London to Explore Opportunities in China and Launches MBA Scholarships for the UK and EU Market
[London, 2 April, 2019] Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business (CKGSB) hosted “Career and Start-up Opportunities in and with China” – an event exploring the opportunities China offers as its economy takes over as the world’s largest. The successful event, held at Asia House in London on April 2, saw over 170 attendees, many of whom are business professionals working to promote ties between Britain and China. Over the years, China has put enormous investment into innovation and entrepreneurship, which have not gone unnoticed by global entrepreneurs looking to capitalizing on these new growth sectors and industries. As China’s only independent business school with an impressive network of influential business leaders, CKGSB provides the perfect platform to those looking for on-the-ground insights into China business with a global perspective.
Established in Beijing 17 years ago with generous support from the Li Ka Shing Foundation, CKGSB is China’s first faculty-governed and only independent business school. It has recruited over 40 full-time professors, many of whom previously held tenured positions at leading business schools such as Wharton and Yale. CKGSB professors’ research has been published in academic journals, as well as mainstream media and provides the basis for more than 400 case studies on China-specific and global issues.
First to speak at the event was CKGSB’s Professor of Economics, Leslie Young, who presented a provocative yet informative presentation looking at China’s economic development. It was then followed by a dialogue between Professor Young and Financial Time’s Business Education Editor, Andrew Jack. Professor Young, who studies international financial economics, political economy and international corporate governance said, “How the Chinese and Western intellectual, cultural and lifestyle differences can be translated into economic activity is the one of the core questions I have pursued in my life,” when asked about his academic interest in China.
Next, the Assistant Dean and Chief Representative of CKGSB Europe, Bo Ji, gave a presentation on “Unicorns and Dragons: How Startups Can Tap into the China Market” detailing steps to securing investment and identifying China’s top 12 growth industries. “The four steps that help foreign entrepreneurs better tap into Chinese market are: having in-depth understanding of Chinese consumers, establishing local team, developing the right channel strategy and creating effective marketing strategy,” said Ji.
China’s success story is reflected in the new generation of entrepreneurs who have benefited from a CKGSB education. They now form one of the most influential business networks; a key source for any entrepreneur or leader looking to transform their career or launch their own business. More than half of its 13,000+ alumni are at the CEO or Chairman level and, collectively, they lead one fifth of China’s most valuable brands. With strong ties to China’s most powerful VC funds and leading tech companies such as Alibaba (NYSE: BABA), Baidu (NASDAQ: BIDU) and Tencent (HKG: 0700), CKGSB has become an entrepreneurial hub for start-ups around the world.
CKGSB alum, Travis Donaldson, stands to gain from China’s growing tech sector, as he secured a multi-million pound investment from Chinese investors while attending the CKGSB China Start program, a week-long course that connects Western startups with Chinese venture capital funds. Donaldson was joined by fellow alum, Rory Bate-Williams, a serial entrepreneur who decided to challenge himself and broaden his horizons at CKGSB’s 14-month long MBA program. At the event, Bate-Williams said, “I have had a very entrepreneurial start in career, but I lack theoretical background to speed up my decision-making process. For me, to learn in Europe is very familiar but to do a MBA at CKGSB in China is challenging but rewarding.”
With heavy investments into the tech and start-up space, China is the perfect place for young ambitious business leaders. CKGSB’s MBA Director, Susan Zhao, launched 2 full scholarships at the event, for those interested in a career in China. The newly launched Education Development Foundation Scholarship will give away close to ￡100,000 in scholarship funding to exceptional UK or EU MBA candidates. The two successful recipients will enjoy a full-ride scholarship to attend one of China’s top business schools. Opportunities abound in China for those willing to reach for it.
