THE ALLIANCE ON BUSINESS EDUCATION AND SCHOLARSHIP FOR TOMORROW, a 21st century organization (ABEST21)

Accreditation News No.4

 The 2007 applicant (four business schools of Japan) submitted their Self-Evaluation Reports by Nov.20, 2008. For their next accreditation step, ABEST21 Peer Review Teams were organized at the first PreAccreditation Committee on November 18, 2008. We believe that all stakeholders such as students, business societies, and business schools would build mutually beneficial relationship among them through our activities. We always think what kinds of value we can add to applicants through our accreditation activities as well as evaluate them by certain criteria. (by President Itoh)

 

News from ABEST21 Administrative Committee

 ABEST21 has its Administrative Committee which deals with any kind of problem indigenous to Japan. Members of this committee are as follows,

Hiroe Tsubaki(Chair) - Professor, University of Tsukuba

Kazuo Ogawa - President, Corporate Research & Development Center, Toshiba Corporation

Masayo Hobo - Senior Operation Officer, Oracle Corporation Japan.

Makoto Nakai - Chief of Recruitment, Nissan Corporation Japan

Koichi Saito - Professor, Nanzan University

Noboru Maeda - Professor, Aoyama Gakuin University

In its monthly meeting of October, the committee decided to work on independent analysis of survey results of the "International survey on Corporate Expectation of Business Schools" and will put out its final report at an ABEST21 International Symposium on March, 2009.

 

Research Project-2

Research Project-2, supported by MEXT, is a questionnaire research on Company Needs for Management Education in business schools in Asian regions; Japan, South Korea, China, Russia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Mexico. We already made brief presentation on part of the result on September and November. On March 24, 2009, we are going to release its final survey report at International Symposium. Before this final presentation, we will introduce findings of each country on this e-News. First one is from Fudan University, China.

 Outline of findings on "Company Needs for Management Education in China"

* Response rate

105 companies out of 300 (Response rate was35%)

* Breakdown of the 105 respondent companies

  Manufacturing 23%, Finance 21%, Consulting& Business Service 15%, and Others 41%

* Summary of findings

    MBA education in China was started on 1991 by 9 business schools. After its rapid development, number of business schools was increased to 129 and their students were over 16,300 people. The result showed that China companies have a high expectation of MBA education. About 81% respondents companies said Leadership skills are expected from MBA graduates. About 75% of them said Communication skills are expected from MBA graduates. However no respondents stated that Strategic Thinking is expected from MBA holders though business schools of other counties said the skill is highly expected. We are focusing on this point. What lead this low rate? (by President Itoh)

 

AACSB Business Accreditation Seminar

 President Itoh participated in AACSB Business Accreditation Seminar, held on November 10-11, 2008 in Singapore. Its agenda was as follows,

 *Outline of AACSB Accreditation Standard

 *AACSB Accreditation Process

 *Guideline of evaluation by Peer Review Teams

 *Quality improvement of Management Education

ABEST21 is going to strengthen cooperation with AACSB International.

 Accreditation News No.3

We started assigning consecutive number to our Accreditation News from ABEST21 desk. This news article is No.3.

Applicants of 2007(four business schools of Japan) are entering into their second step, which is preparation of Self-Evaluation Reports. New applicants of 2008 are working on preparation of Accreditation Plans at the first stage of the accreditation. All these applicants reviewed and evaluated their educational systems, curriculums, faculty's bodies, facilities, and management bodies which support with enhancement of their research and educational activities in order to develop their merit and to solve their problems. All these applicants are taking their accreditation processes step by step based on these self-evaluation results. Three mentors, assigned by ABEST21, for one applicant business school are contributing to facilitation of their accreditation activities.

 

Research Project-II Presentation

 We had research presentation, held on September 4, 2008 at ABEST21 office, on Company Needs for Management Education in Business. Representative from business schools of Japan, Japanese companies, and MEXT participated the Session. The presentation showed findings and analysis of global questionnaire research, was conducted by seven business schools of Pacific regions, on Company Needs for Management Education in Business. Professor Tsubaki from University of Tsukuba in Japan talked about findings of Japan. President Itoh made a quick report on cross-country comparisons among these seven business schools. After these presentations, participants exchanged their views from each perspective. We believe this session would open up relationship between university and industries.

 

Research Presentation of Comparative Analysis on Company Needs

We will have a wrap-up presentation on the global questionnaire research on Company Needs for Management Education in Business on Monday, November 17, 2008 at ABEST21 head office. Faculties of involving business schools, that is, University of Tsukuba of Japan, Soul National University of South Korea, Moscow State University of Russia, Chiang Mai University of Thailand, Management & Science University of Malaysia, and EGRADE Tecnologico de Monterrey of Mexico will join the session. The Research Report with the title of Improving Quality of Management Education, by Moscow State University, will be distributed.

 

News from ABEST21-fellow member of Aoyama Business School, Japan

We, Graduate School of International Management, Aoyama Gakuin University (Aoyama Business School) provides one-week's China study tour　annually in order to deepen understanding about today's China Economy. Its program includes company tours to both Chinese and Japanese enterprises. The program also has lectures by a faculty of ABEST21 fellow, Fudan University on China Economic Reform and China Economic Environment. In this summer from August 31 to September 5, about 30 numbers of MBA and EMBA students with our faculties joined the 2008 China Study tour and experienced rapid changes of Shanghai and Hangzhou cities. At Fudan University, Shanghai, participants listened to lectures in Japanese, by Adjunct Professor Han Zhongheon, on Marketing of China. Also they visited YKK(Shanghai) Co.,Ltd, TERUMO Medical Products(Hang Zhou) Co.,Ltd, MITSUI' Co.,(Shanghai), Ltd. ,and Baosteel Co.,Ltd as well as local supermarkets and convenience stores in Shanghai. These students and faculties felt differences between China and Japan in their market momentum. Professor Han said he is looking forward to seeing ABEST21 fellow members again at PreAccreditation Committee on November 17-18 of Japan.

 

Moscow State University Executive MBA visit Japan

   On November 2 to 9 a group of Executive MBA students from Moscow State University is going to visit Japan. The study tour program includes visiting Japanese companies, Itochu, Sony and Suzuki, as well as Parliament and Stock Exchange, and an intensive exposure to the Japanese culture. The program will be implemented in close cooperation with ABEST21 and GSIM Aoyama Gakuin University.

 

SKK University AMBAs visited Moscow

On June 24-25 Graduate School of Business Administration Moscow University hosted a group of EMBA students from Sungkyunkwan University (Seoul, Korea). The program of the visit included lectures on Russian economics and political System, Russian business culture and consumer behavior, Korean EMBA students also visited a country office of Samsung Corporation, where they learned about the Russian market from experienced Samsung's managers.

 

1.Consignment Research Project on Accreditation of Business Schools in 2008 　

We are 　pleased to inform that ABEST21 begins to develop reliable global model system of accreditation of business school as well as both gathering and providing cases from multiple and various perspectives. We will promote the development, to be supported by MEXT, on the basis of three research findings in 2007, i.e., Research Project-1, which is fact-finding survey on accreditation system of business schools in Asian regions, Research Project-2 which is questionnaire research on Company Needs for management education in business schools in Asian regions., and Research Project-3 is gathering and analyzing of cases on accreditation based on ABEST21 Accreditation Standards.

  

2.The First PreAccreditation Committee on Tuesday, November 18, 2008 　

We will hold the first PreAccreditation Committee on Tuesday, November 18, 2008 at ABEST21 office, Tokyo Japan. The committee is composed of 35-40 numbers of committee members, who are professors of business schools in not only Japan but also foreign countries and business leaders of Japanese companies. The PreAccreditation Committee will review the Self-Evaluation Reports of four business schools in Japan as second step of ABEST21 accreditation process. Prior to the committee, peer review teams, who report to the PreAccreditation Committee, will visit their sites and examine the Self Evaluation Reports.

 

 3.Research Presentation on Company Needs for Management Education in Business

　We had a Session on Company Needs for Management Education in Business, held on Thursday, September 4, 2008 at the ABEST21 office, Tokyo Japan. At the session, University of Tsukuba made a presentation on their survey results of Japan. The presentation showed that more than half of companies responded was expected from MBA graduates in the field of Leadership Skills, Problem-solving skills, Strategic Thinking Skills, Quantitative Skills, and Analytical Thinking Skills. The skills what companies responded looked forward to most in MBA graduates, 71% of responded, was Strategic Thinking Skills. About 41% of these responses said MBA graduates presented the Strategic Thinking Skills. Also most desired technical expertise for MBA graduates, about 69% of responses, was Strategy. About 33% of them stated that MBA graduates actually have that.  

 

4.News from fellow-ABEST21 member, Multimedia University, Malaysia

Regional Development International Conference and Exhibition 2008(REDICE'08) will be held on November 5-7, 2008; with the theme of Local Development, Global Edge; at Multimedia University, Cyberjaya, Malaysia. For further more information, please visit following website.

http://www.mmu.edu.my/cctd/redice/index.html

ABEST21 eNEWS-No.1

 

1. The third ABEST21 Accreditation Committee

   We hold the third Accreditation Committee chaired by Dean Robert S. Sullivan, Rady School of Management, University of California San Diego, on Thursday June 12, 2008 at Toshiba Corporation Head Office, Tokyo Japan. The Accreditation Committee approved Accreditation Plans of four Professional Business Schools in Japan. The Accreditation Plans are mainly composed of self-evaluations based on the "Common Standards" of the ABEST21 Accreditation Standards. The Committee admitted the four Professional Business Schools to go to the second step, which is preparation of Self-Evaluation Reports. The Self-Evaluation Reports are the target of main evaluation process for the accreditation. We will do final evaluation of the four Professional Business Schools at the fourth Accreditation Committee on Wednesday, March 25, 2009 at Sony Corporation Head Office, Tokyo, Japan.

 

2. Session on Company Needs for Management Education in Business Schools

We implement a questionnaire research on Company Expectations (Company Needs) for Management Education in Business Schools by seven business schools in Asia-Pacific regions, that is Tsukuba University in Japan, Seoul National University in Republic of Korea, Moscow State University in Russia, Fudan University in China, Chiang Mai University in Thailand, Management & Science University in Malaysia, and Technologico de Monterey in Mexico, as a part of our consignment projects of 2007. We are planning to publish the Research Projects Results on that. Prior to publish the report, we will hold a session on both an analysis report of Japan's survey and comparative analysis among these countries.

Date: Thursday, September 4^th, 2008 from 14:00 to 18:00

Place: ABEST21 office

http://www.abest21.org/access/index.html

 

3. GSBA Field Study 2008

     We were glad to serve as a bridge between Graduate School of Business Administration, Moscow State University, Russia (GSBA) and Japanese institutions on GSBA Field Study 2008 during 22^nd to 31^st July 2008 in Japan. About 25 GSBA students of its EMBA/MBA courses visited to Japan. On July 24, the GSBA students had a session for reading research papers and took classes on MBABEST21 Management Game by fellow-ABEST21 member, Graduate School of International Management, Aoyama Gakuin University (Aoyama Business School), at Aoyama Campus, Tokyo. On July 25^th, they visited to Toyota Factory in Aichi prefecture with the cooperation of both Toyota Corporation and fellow-ABEST21 member, Nanzan University. On July 29, GSBA students received a certificate of the Field Study 2008 signed by GSBA, Aoyama Business School and ABEST21. Also they received small gifts from ABEST21 at the granting ceremony.

 

2008-06-18 - MSU - MBA Newsletter.pdf

We will organize 3rd Accreditation Committee, As fellows;

Ⅰ.3rd Accreditation Committee
Ⅱ. Date  June 12,2008 (Thu) 9:00a.m-10:30a.m
Ⅲ. Place Toshiba Corporation Head Office 1-1-1 Shibaura Minato-ku Tokyo,JAPAN

We organize General Assembly in Seoul.

ABEST21
General Assembly and Representation
June 13-15 2008

Friday, June 13, 2008
Ⅰ　Joint Research ProjectⅡ
13:30-14:15 ...Session 1: Tsukuba University
14:15-15:00 ...Session 2: Seoul National University
Ⅱ　Visit to LG Chemicals and Global Lecture
18:00-20:00 ...Welcome Reception

Saturday, June 14, 2008
08:00-08:45 ...Session 3: Fudan University
08:45-09:30 ...Session 4: Management & Science University
Refreshment Break
09:45-10:30 ...Session 5: Chiang Mai University
10:30-11:15 ...Session 6: Tecnologico De Monterrey
11:15-12:00 ...Session 7: Moscow State University
Lunch
Ⅲ　Board Meeting
13:30-15:00  ...Board Meeting
Refreshment Break
Ⅳ 　General Assembly
15:30-17:00 ...General Assembly
18:00-20:00 ...Evening Reception hosted by S.N.U

Sunday, June 15, 2008
Seoul Sightseeing

We inform you Advisory Council Committee.

Ⅰ.Advisory Council Committee
Ⅱ.Date: Thursday,12 June,2008
Ⅲ.Place: Toshiba Head Office
    1-1-1 Shibaura Minato-ku Tokyo,JAPAN

The Dean of Moscow State University Business School will lead a delegation of thirty students to Japan. The delegation will make a study tour of a Toyota Factory. The Factory visit is being arranged by
fellow-ABEST21 member, Nanzan University.

We are pleased to bring you from Tokyo, an electronic newsletter for member to keep us in touch with developments.

1. 2nd Accreditation Committee

2. Established a new Committee

There was suggestion from Dr. Murphy of the director in Board Meeting and. As follows.

    President Itoh and I propose to establish a committee of ABEST21 that would consider the sorts of broad institutional challenges that business education faces in the 21st century.  University-based business school is, if not exactly in crisis, then beset with tension over a number of issues. ABEST21 can have an important role in providing a forum to address these issues and perhaps helping to shape an institutional environment in which they can be aired systematically. The tension between business school as preparation for a profession and business school simply as training to help sharp, ambitious students get ahead in a cutthroat world goes right back to the origins of university-based business education. Are we scholars serving the interests of truth and pushing back the frontiers of knowledge like our colleagues in the physics department　? Are we teachers serving the interests of our students?  Serving them in what way　? To help them make more money　? Are we the academic equivalent of soldiers, serving the interests of each of our respective nations by training leaders who will be good stewards of national resources and thereby help our respective countries become rich and powerful? Are we business people who make our way in the world by meeting the needs of a group of customers　? And if so, who are those customers?
Whether we like it or not, society has chosen us for a heavy responsibility - the training of the leaders of its economic institutions. That responsibility carries with it the obligation to think through the most momentous of questions: what is the purpose and goal of education? And how shall it be accomplished　? Standing at a crossroads between East and West, ABEST 21 may perhaps be uniquely positioned to tackle these questions. University based business education is, to be sure, a product of Western institutional history. But the East Asian tradition is much more comfortable with the notion of power resting with a disinterested and learned mandarinate; a mandarinate chosen by criteria of scholarly achievement; a mandarinate whose very learning may bring with it privileges - yes - but also responsibilities that transcend those of narrow economic self-interest. Equipped with the truly remarkable diversity of backgrounds and perspectives among our membership but united by common goals of institutional integrity and serving the world of the 21st century, ABEST21 can be of real use to its members in providing a grounding of common purpose and understanding of what we are about. And at the same time act as a resource for a wider audience seeking guidance on the question of how best to train leaders of economic institutions amidst the many challenges of our times.

3. Research Presentation in Nissan Learning Center,Nissan Management Institute,
    Hakone Japan

We hold the meetings in Hakone in Nissan Learning Center.
We decied to publish Joint Research Projects results after finishing final research presentation as follows;
1) "MBA Education and Quality Improvement System in Asian Countries"
2) "Comparative Analysis on Self-Evaluation in Management Education based on ABEST21 Business Standards in Asian Countries"

4. ABEST21 Seminar in Morroco

The details inform it on decision.

5. June 2008 General Assembly in Seoul

tentative Schedule

June,13th(Friday)

in the afternoon

                             LG Electronics
                             Global Lecture
                             Farewell Party Ⅰ  hosted by Seoul National University

14th June(Saturday)

9:00-10:30          Project Presentation

10:30-11:00        Coffee Break

11:00-12:30        Project Presentation

12:30-13:30        LUNCH

13:30-15:30        Project Presentation

15:30-16:00        Coffee Break

16:00-18:30        General Assembly

18:30-20:00        Farewell Party Ⅱ　hosted by ABEST21