New Senior Executive Program Launched

The School of Economics and Management of Tsinghua University (Tsinghua SEM), China Europe International Business School (CEIBS), and Harvard Business School (HBS) have joined forces to launch the Senior Executive Program for China (SEPC), a three-module program held in Beijing, Shanghai, and Boston, respectively, that has been designed to help senior-level executives operating in China develop the broad, integrated knowledge and global perspective they need to successfully lead their organizations and achieve sustainable competitive advantage.

On Aug 13, the first year’s inaugurate was held in Tsinghua SEM. Dean He Jiankun of Tsinghua SEM, Senior Associate Dean Chen Guoqin of Tsinghua SEM, Professor Zhang Weijong, Associate Dean of CEIBS and the China Director for SEPC, Professor McFarlan, Senior Associate Dean of HBS attended the ceremony and spoke respectively. 46 students from 8 countries, with an average working experience of over 15 years attended the ceremony, after which, they will begin their first 12-day study module in Tsinghua SEM.

The cooperation between Tsinghua SEM and HBS dates back to 2000. From 2001, both parties had begun to co-design a series of collaborative senior-level executive development programs. These programs have achieved huge successes and received very positive feedback from the corporate world and Chinese society. One of the important achievements of the cooperation is the successful development of a series of Chinese enterprises cases, which were formally included into the Harvard Business Case Online later. At the same time, the cooperation between Tsinghua SEM and HBS has also made tremendous contributions to the development of Tsinghua SEM Advisory Board and its faculty member development.

This new senior executive program not only inherits many successful experiences of the previous program but also includes many new elements. The program consists of three two-week modules over the course of six months. Module one (August 13-25, 2006) will take place at Tsinghua SEMin Beijing and provide an overview of key functional areas within a firm, delivering insights into leading-edge management issues. Module two (October 15-27) at CEIBS in Shanghai will examine competition in China and the global economy. Module three (December 3-15) at Harvard Business School in Boston will focus on leadership, organizational design, and governance issues.

“The tremendous economic growth taking place in China is forcing executives to confront a unique set of challenges across business sectors – from supply chain management to information technology – to ensure that their organizations are prepared to respond on a global scale,” said Professor Chen Guoqing, Associate Dean at Tsinghua-SEM. “Through this joint effort, participants will be immersed in recent trends and innovations in China to help them strategically navigate their companies and compete at the global level.”

“The SEPC program balances the need for developing executives’ insight and awareness of the political, social, and economic issues at work in China with the opportunity to refine the leadership skills necessary for effective decision making and strategic management,” said Professor Zhou Dongsheng, Program Director of the SEPC program at CEIBS. “Participants will emerge from the program not only with a portfolio of management frameworks and skills they can use in their work, but with a stellar network of peers they can collaborate with and learn from throughout their career.”

The program’s curriculum is intensive, timely, and relevant for preparing senior executives to lead in the local and global economy. Topics include:

· Business and Government in the International Economy

· Competition and Strategy

· Leadership and Change Management

· Corporate Governance and Values

· Negotiations

· Communicating and Implementing Financially Beneficial Strategies

· Operations and Supply Chain Management

Dean He Jiankun of Tsinghua SEM also commented on the ceremony, “I hope all of you could combine theories with practices, combine advanced global experiences with local conditions. Through intensive interaction with your peers and professors, I hope you could fully stretch yourselves.” Professor Chen Guoqin made a brief introduction to the faculty team of the program, which consists of 36 most respected scholars from the three parties. World-renowned strategy master Professor Michael E. Porter, one of the inventors of Balanced Score Card，Professor Robert S. Kaplan, Economists Professor Wei Jie, Professor Wu Jinlian will lead the course.

During the ceremony, Professor McFarlan also introduces the teaching methodology of the program. Faculty members from Tsinghua SEM Professor Wei Jie, Xia Donglin, Wang Gao, Li Minzhi, Xie Bin and Wang Xueli attended the ceremony as well.

About the School of Economics and Management at Tsinghua University

The history of School of Economics and Management, Tsinghua University (Tsinghua-SEM) dates back to 1926 as the Department of Economics, and 1979 as the Department of Economics and Management Engineering. In 1984, Tsinghua SEM was established as one of the first business schools in China. Currently, Tsinghua SEMhas a total of 120 faculty members with over 4,000 students, offering a variety of academic programs at undergraduate, master (including MBA/EMBA) and doctoral levels. It has 8 departments and several research centers. Tsinghua SEM strives to contribute academic knowledge that fuels the renaissance of the Chinese economy and to cultivate business leaders for China and the world.

About China Europe International Business School

China Europe International Business School (http://www.ceibs.edu) was established in 1994 as a joint venture between the European Union and the Municipal Government of Shanghai. In its first ten years, CEIBS has brought together a prestigious faculty team, members of which come from top international business schools, regularly provide consulting services to Chinese and multinational companies and develop China relevant cases. CEIBS provides full-time MBA programs, part-time executive MBA programs and over 30 Executive Education programs. More than 45,000 middle and senior managers have participated in Executive Education programs at CEIBS. The School combines international management education with profound knowledge of the Chinese business environment.

About Harvard Business School Founded in 1908 as part of Harvard University, Harvard Business School (www.hbs.edu) is located on a 40-acre campus in Boston. Its faculty of more than 200 offers full-time programs leading to the MBA and doctoral degrees, as well as more than 40 Executive Education programs. For almost a century, HBS faculty have drawn on their research, their experience in working with organizations worldwide, and their passion for teaching to educate leaders who have shaped the practice of business around the globe.