中国高管缘何青睐美国MBA课程

    对于像北卡罗来纳大学这样的EMBA课程，相关需求在一定程度上源于中国经济大国地位的崛起。公司开拓新的市场时，公司高管就想拥有更多的技能，让公司更上一个台阶。像翟宁这样，她的公司正致力于扩张国际业务，尤其是美国业务。她的EMBA学费由雇主支付。公司希望她可以把学到的全球供应链专业知识用到公司的增长计划中。

    刘铁军是清华大学-北卡罗来纳大学双学位EMBA项目的另一位学员。现年39岁的刘铁军是香港华富嘉洛证券（Hong Kong Quam Securities）在中国大陆的首席代表，在亚洲金融业有着丰富的从业经验，但他还想更深入地研习商业理论。他说：“EMBA学习带来的是一种不同的思维模式。美国教授向学员讲解商业案例，对案例的分析会提供一个不同的观点。”他还补充说：“全球游学，包括去迪拜和西雅图的旅行，也让自己获得了了解不同文化的机会，扩展了自己的世界观。”

    清华大学-北卡罗来纳大学双学位EMBA项目副主管贾亚尚卡尔•斯瓦米纳坦说，这个项目相当独特，因为它对商业和工程并重。学员毕业后可以获得北卡罗来纳大学的工商管理硕士学位和清华大学的工程管理硕士学位。

    项目的初衷旨在吸引一些有技术或者制造业背景的企业高管。但是斯瓦米纳坦发现，有投资、金融和市场营销背景的高管也纷纷报名。他说：“我认为未来课程的受众领域将会大大超越我们的最初预想。”

    这些学员比欧美EMBA学员的年龄更大一些。清华大学-北卡罗来纳大学双学位EMBA项目学员的平均年龄为41岁。而国际EMBA协会（Executive MBA Council）的数据显示，2010年美国EMBA学员的平均年龄是37.1岁。斯瓦米纳坦说，许多中国学员大学毕业后缺少高端管理教育方面的学习机会。“他们中的很多人并不是为了转行，而是寻求在现有职业上取得更长足的发展。”

    但是这个项目也面临着一些问题。斯瓦米纳坦说：“无论何时，跨国合作总是具有挑战性的。一方面，北卡罗来纳大学是美国历史最悠久的公立大学，我们必须遵循我们的现有制度。另一方面，清华大学有自己的校规和政策。要想出对双方都行之有效的制度和项目极具挑战性。”

    可喜的是，学员们都适应得很好。翟宁说，这个合作项目的一大亮点就是北卡罗纳大学的校园和美食。她笑着说：“相比国内，我更喜欢这里的美食。”

    Demand for programs like the one at UNC partly stems from China's growing status as an economic heavyweight. As companies expand into new markets, executives are opting to acquire skills to take their businesses to the next level. In Zhai's case, her company is eyeing international expansion, particularly in the U.S. Her employer is paying for her degree so she'll be able to bring global supply chain expertise to bear on the company's growth plans.

    Another UNC-Tsinghua student, Tiejun Liu, 39, saw value in broadening his global perspective. As the chief representative at Hong Kong Quam Securities, Liu has a wealth of experience in Asia's financial industry, but he wanted a better understanding of business theory. "It's a different way of thinking," he says. U.S. professors walk you through business cases, and their analyses offer a different viewpoint, he adds. The global residencies, which include trips to Dubai and Seattle, also provided opportunities to learn about different cultures and expand his worldview, Liu says.

    The UNC-Tsinghua EMBA program is rather unique in that it offers a dual emphasis on business and engineering, says to Jayashankar M. Swaminathan, associate dean of the program. Graduates walk away with a master of business administration from UNC and a master of engineering management from Tsinghua.

    The program initially focused on attracting students with a technical or manufacturing background who had assumed leaderships positions in business. But Swaminathan discovered that students with investment, finance, and marketing backgrounds were also signing up. "I think the program is going to be much broader than we initially thought," he says.

    The students are also a bit older than many of their American or European counterparts. The average student age at the UNC-Tsinghua program is 41. By comparison, the average age of American EMBA students in 2010 was 37.1, according to Executive MBA Council data. Swaminathan says that many students in China lacked access to cutting-edge management education after graduating from college. "Many of these people are not looking to make a career switch. They're looking to enrich their current careers even further."

    But the program has faced some hiccups. "Anytime you're talking about collaboration across continents, it's challenging," Swaminathan says. "UNC is the oldest public university and so we have processes in place that we must adhere to. On the other hand, Tsinghua has its own set of regulations and policies, so coming up with a process and program that works at both ends was extremely challenging."

    Fortunately, the students seem to be adjusting just fine. Zhai says one of the highlights of the program has been the UNC campus and the cuisine. "I like the food better than in China," she says with a laugh.