A Joint Program by Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business and UC San Diego Rady School of Management
The CKGSB-UC San Diego Joint Biotech Innovation Program is specifically designed to equip CEOs and founders in the life sciences and biotechnology industry with the essential knowledge and connections needed to thrive in this rapidly evolving sector.
Bridging the expertise of a faculty from the Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business (CKGSB) and the UC San Diego Rady School of Management, this program offers a curriculum combining biotech strategy, management, and a global perspective on the industry. Leveraging the success of our institutions’ knowledge and expertise, our core mission is to arm you with the knowledge and connections necessary to drive growth and innovation, ultimately propelling you towards biotechnology unicorn status.
Uniquely geared towards CEOs and founders, the program is designed to strengthen your leadership skills while keeping you at the forefront of the latest biotech developments and trends. You’ll acquire the expertise to assess market potential meticulously, create strategic product launch and development plans, and confidently navigate the entire commercialization process. Additionally, you will attend industry visits and networking sessions, connecting you with biotech leaders and emerging start-ups.
Located in the thriving biotech hub of San Diego, you will have an opportunity to interact with industry executives, expanding avenues for securing funding for your biotech venture. The program gives you access to an exclusive network of industry professionals, bio-entrepreneurs, and seasoned investors, opening up endless possibilities for professional growth and career advancement.
The CKGSB-UC San Diego Biotech Innovation Program is a distinctive collaboration between two renowned institutions: Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business (CKGSB) and the UC San Diego Rady School of Management, along with partnership support from UC San Diego Extended Studies. Bringing together a distinguished faculty from both East and West, the program dives deep into the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities, ensuring a thorough understanding of the industry's academic and practical aspects.
Beyond theoretical knowledge, the program emphasizes real-world insights through industry visits, labs, startup interactions, and case studies. These hands-on experiences, with panel discussions and guest lectures, offer participants a holistic view of the biotech sector's real-world challenges and successes. Additionally, the program presents an invaluable opportunity to engage with a diverse cohort of peers, industry leaders, renowned faculty, and investors, fostering a dynamic environment for networking and collaboration.
Designed with a forward-thinking approach, the program strongly emphasizes leadership and biotech management skills. Participants will delve into the ethical dimensions of biotech, navigating the sector's moral dilemmas and understanding the importance of responsible innovation. Furthermore, the program ensures participants are future-ready by exploring predictive trends, preparing them for the upcoming challenges and opportunities in the ever-evolving world of biotech.
Dr. Xiang Bing is the Founding Dean and Dean’s Distinguished Chair Professor of China Business and Globalization at Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business (CKGSB). Under his leadership, CKGSB has evolved from a fledgling school to one of the most influential business schools in China with a global reputation since 2002.
Dr. Chen Hong is Professor of Management Science at the Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business (CKGSB). He is one of the founding faculty members of CKGSB and the Associate Dean for Americas. He is also the director of the Clean Energy and Carbon Neutral Development Research Center in CKGSB.
Dr. Tao is the founding partner of Cloudstone Venture Fund, which invests exclusively in health tech. He is also the founder of the Global aiDA project. Dr. Tao is a member of the Stanford Decisions & Ethics Center. He holds a PhD from Stanford in Decision & Risk Analysis.
Lisa Ordóñez was appointed Dean of UC San Diego’s Rady School of Management in September 2019. As the School’s second dean, she is transitioning Rady from a start-up to focus on growth, further cementing the school’s global business research prominence and impact as an innovation focused, economic engine within the San Diego business community and beyond.
Professor Amy Nguyen-Chyung joined Rady in 2018. She is responsible for instruction and curriculum development of the Lab-to-Market Workshop capstone, the signature course series for Rady, in which teams launch new ventures or work with existing organizations to address challenging problems with innovative solutions. She is also Co-Director of the Institute for the Global Entrepreneur, a collaboration between Rady and the UCSD Jacobs School of Engineering.
Kevin Zhu earned his Ph.D. from Stanford University and is a Professor of Innovation, Technology, and Operations (ITO) at the Rady School of Management, University of California, San Diego (UCSD). His work focuses on technology-enabled innovation and the next generation of information technologies (big data, AI, blockchain, FinTech) as well as their adoption in the business world. In addition, his research focuses on the economic impacts of information technology, the digital transformation of traditional industries, and the integration of online and offline channels.
Professor Catriona Jamieson is a globally renowned expert in hematology and stem cell research. She currently serves as a professor of hematology and the director of the Translational Hematology Program at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Medical Center
Hugo Villar is the Dean of the Division of Extended Studies at UC San Diego. He has over 22 years of experience in the life sciences industry and is the president of Altoris, Inc., a local consulting firm focusing on chemoinformatics and molecular modeling, multivariate analysis, discovery informatics and intellectual property and evaluation.
Sadoff's research in applied microeconomics is focused on behavioral economics, experimental economics, labor and human capital. Prior to coming to the Rady School, Sadoff was a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Chicago. Sadoff earned her Ph.D. and M.A. in Economics from the University of Chicago. She earned her B.A. in Economics from Harvard University.
Magnus Felke is the Senior Director of Medication Dispensing International in BD, one of the largest global medical technology companies in the world. He is also the lecturer at The University of California, San Diego - Rady School of Management.
Dr. Robert Signer is a stem cell biologist whose trailblazing work on protein synthesis and homeostasis in hematopoietic stem cells opened the door to unchartered areas of cellular investigation. Dr. Signer is currently the Deputy Director of the Stem Cell Discovery Center and an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Regenerative Medicine at the University of California San Diego.
Established in Beijing in November 2002, CKGSB is China’s first privately-funded, research-intensive and non-for-profit business school. The school aims to cultivate transformative business leaders with a global vision, sense of social responsibility, innovative mindset, and ability to lead with empathy and compassion. Today, CKGSB stands apart for its full-time, world-class faculty, research excellence, China insights and unparalleled alumni network. More than half of its 40 strong faculty members previously held tenure or senior professorships at top business schools, such as MIT, Wharton, and Yale. CKGSB is also the preferred choice for management education among established business leaders and a new generation of disruptors in China and the wider region. More than half of CKGSB’s 20,000 alumni are at the CEO or Chairman level and, collectively, they lead one fifth of China’s 100 most valuable brands.
CKGSB is the first business school in China, since 2015, and now globally to offer programs specifically designed for unicorn and soon-to-be-unicorn founders. It aims to build a global ecosystem for the next generation of unicorn and soon-to-be-unicorn companies, with a renewed and enhanced emphasis on global responsibility, social purpose and long-term perspective. Thus far, this ecosystem has developed more than 1,000 founders and co-founders of companies with Series A to more mature start-up companies, including 38 unicorn companies listed on CB Insights (2017-2022).
The University of California San Diego, founded in 1960, is a premier institution within the esteemed University of California system. Situated along the scenic coasts of La Jolla, it hosts over 40,000 students and a renowned faculty, several of whom have been honored with top awards such as Nobel Prizes and National Medals of Science. UC San Diego’s alumni community reflects its rigorous academic standards, with a plethora of leaders, pioneers, and visionaries spanning various sectors, many of whom have risen to influential roles as CEOs, Researchers, and Entrepreneurs. The university has been a nexus for innovative explorations and impactful research. Throughout its history, UC San Diego has consistently promoted global engagement and knowledge exchange, with a vast number of international students and scholars benefiting from its wide array of programs and interdisciplinary collaborations. UC San Diego’s Rady School of Management and Extended Studies are leading the way in enhancing the vitality of the strong regional economy through educational excellence.
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