Friday 29 Mar 2024
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The Master's in Business Administration (MBA) continues to be one of the most popular courses for working professionals. Earning an MBA will not only enhance and advance career opportunities but also equip one with the required skills and knowledge for entrepreneurship. The course is fundamentally shaped to mould individuals into future leaders.

In the past, an assured way of earning an MBA degree required individuals to enrol in a full-time or part-time course. This resulted in a shift of focus away from their respective careers as they honed their attention on education. However, thanks to technology, the MBA, like many educational courses, have helped reshaped education for the greater good. 

Today, many established courses can be delivered entirely online. The pandemic has undoubtedly accelerated the popularity as well as the feasibility of online learning. According to a recent survey by the Graduate Management Admission Council, global applications for online MBAs alone have increased by as much as 43.5 percent in 2020.

The health crisis however has not just acerbated the need for online learning. It has also transformed the landscape of business, changing the necessary skillsets and expertise required to operate in the new normal. This includes enhancing communication skills through virtual meetings as well as honing digital leadership. 

As the world shift towards a digital future, the arrival of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology's (HKUST) new Digital MBA for Global Leaders (or DiMBA) program is timely to nurture the leaders of tomorrow.  Understanding the needs of today's professionals who are in search of education and knowledge to enhance their skills and abilities, the flexible digital postgraduate degree is specifically designed to meet the evolving needs of career-minded executives who are on the move. 

The new digital MBA program is the first of its kind to be offered by a top-ranked school in Asia. Not just flexible and comprehensive, it affords course takers to keep up with classes while travelling for business, or even if relocating to another city. 

Forward Thinking Approach To Education

The two-year, part-time program combines the strengths of HKUST's long-established, highly regarded MBA courses with a new opportunity for working professionals. Enrollers will be able to leverage off HKUST's revered MBA program, which is ranked among the world's Top 25 MBA* by Financial Times with the added benefit of customising their schedules in their educational journey. They will also benefit from learning the latest in finance, systems, marketing practice, management theory and much more.  Upon graduation, DiMBA students will receive the same degree certificate as their traditional Full-time and Part-time MBA graduates.

*For the School's Full-Time MBA Program in Financial Times Global MBA Ranking 2021

"HKUST's DiMBA will benefit from having the first exclusive virtual classroom in Asia," explains Professor Chen Tai-Yuan, Associate Dean of the HKUST Business School and MBA Program Director. "With all the latest virtual learning technologies, it allows professors and students to interact with each other in a setting comparable to a physical classroom.  In-class group discussions, an important element of the MBA learning process, is also enabled through the virtual classroom."

Up until now, most of the top-ranked MBA programs are offered by business schools in North America and Europe. However due to the time differences, these courses prove challenging to Asia-based students to attend the live online classes and participate in team projects as well as group discussions. 

HKUST however has effectively addressed this problem for students in Asia with this new and highly effective virtual learning program. With Malaysia located in the same time zone as Hong Kong, the DiMBA program is made even more convenient for local participants of the program.  

Convenient And Easy-To-Follow

The format of DiMBA encompasses courses presented via a range of blended and virtual classes. Students gain the advantage of following the rest of the curriculum via the school's dedicated advanced learning platform. DiMBA students can have better control over their own schedule with the blended learning mode with 50 percent running as live virtual classes, and the balance covered through "self-paced" online study. They can do this too without compromising their personal, family and work priorities. 

Professor Chen Tai-Yuan, Associate Dean of the HKUST Business School and MBA Program Director

"HKUST believes that online learning should have the same transformational impact as the very best face-to-face courses," explains Professor Chen says. "We are the first business school in Greater China to join the Future of Management Education (FOME) Alliance alongside like-minded schools who share that vision. In practical terms, it means our DiMBA students will also be able to enrol in online courses at other global business schools to keep learning without quitting their job or interrupting their career." 

Also, unlike many international online degrees, admission for the DiMBA is expected to be highly selective. This is aimed at primarily attracting a small but elite class of senior executives from diverse fields, who are keen to upgrade their skills and expand their professional networks. Via its dedicated virtual alumni hub, DiMBA students also gain the distinction of connecting and engaging with over 5000 HKUST MBA alumni across geographical and industrial boundaries. 

Nurturing The Leaders Of Tomorrow 

Professor Chen adds that the pandemic, along with the advent of new technologies has effectively changed the way we work. As such, the world will need new kinds of leaders with the required skillsets for the post-Covid workplace. 

The course modules are centred on providing the necessary knowledge for individuals to strive and succeed in tomorrow's work environment. As such the course structure includes covering modules on pioneering business technologies such as AI, big data, blockchain and Python. It goes without saying that technology and sustainability have become the core values that are required by today's blue-chip companies. Global leaders must segue towards this new pathway and equip themselves with the right mindset to steer through this digital and sustainability revolution. 

Understanding that the landscape of business is evolving, HKUST's DiMBA is designed to transform global executives into digital leaders with a vision on sustainability. The program's curriculum covers a wide range of interdisciplinary knowledge to develop the kind of all-round leadership skills needed to lead in this era of disruption.

Discover how DiMBA can help further your career through HKUST's info session held on Thursday, 5 August from 7.30-9pm (GMT+8). Visit the program website for further details.

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