The Executive MBA Programme of The Chinese University received its highest ever ranking from Financial Times since the London-based business newspaper conducted its first EMBA ranking in 2001.
Financial Times, in its latest global survey of over 80 EMBA programmes, ranked the CUHK EMBA Programme number 12 worldwide—a leap from number 20 in 2002 and 2003. The programme was also declared the top independent EMBA programme in the Asia-Pacific for two consecutive years from 2003, and the best Independent EMBA Programme in Asia for the fourth year in a row.
Prof. Andrew C.F. Chan, director of the EMBA Programme, said, 'We are very pleased by the result. It is the highest ever ranking that has been accorded by Financial Times since it started this exercise.' He continued, 'Ours is the first EMBA Programme in Hong Kong, a truly made-in-Hong Kong product. The programme's success is, therefore, Hong Kong's success.' Prof. Chan attributed the success of the programme to the support of the University management and the dedication and hard work of faculty members, staff, students, and alumni.
The programme was also assessed the best worldwide in terms of the percentage of women students, and among the top 10 in terms of the percentage of international faculty and alumni's salaries in consulting. It also did very well in areas including salary increase, aims achieved, women faculty, percentage of women advisory board members, and that of international advisory board members.
Financial Times attributed the programme's high ranking to its having many alumni serving as international managers in the banking and industrial sectors. The programme is also one of the only two in the top 12 where the medium of instruction is bilingual.
Prof. Chan said that the programme will continue to maintain a healthy balance between theory and application, and to stay abreast of market dynamics through innovation. And since 2002, business leaders have been sharing their insights with students and alumni of the EMBA Programme through television and radio programmes such as Talking to CEOs: CEO in the New Century and New Thinking in Management.
Ranking is however not the programme's foremost pursuit. According to Prof. Chan, its prime objective has always been to nurture world-class management talent for Hong Kong, China, and the region.