The 2015 Annual Meeting of RBS International Advisory Committee was Successfully Held

The 2015 annual meeting of RBS international advisory committee, held by Yi Zhihong, Professor and Vice-president of RUC, on the 8th and 9th of May, ended in great success.

Professor Chen Yulu, President of RUC

Professor Yi Zhihong,  Vice-president of RUC

Professor Mao Jiye, Dean of RBS, commenced by giving a comprehensive report titled “Persistence in Improvement and Pursuit in Excellence”. He reviewed the prospect, mission and goal of RBS to “base on China’s practice, improve the international acknowledgement and influence and stand among the first-rank schools of business”. Professor Mao Jiye stated that 2014 showed progress and demonstrated the prosperity of RBS. It was the first time that RBS was granted numerous national academic research awards within one year, including awards from the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, the Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, and the National Natural Science Fund for Key Project. Within the same year RBS has achieved the record-breaking achievement in the National Natural Science Fund Project. Additionally, EMBA and EE programs all rank within the Top 50 of Business Schools Worldwide in the Financial Times. This makes RBS the only local business school favored by such glory. However, due to the macroeconomic environment experienced in 2014, RBS must push forward to the phase of strategic transformation to meet new challenges.

Mao stated the development that RBS has achieved in the aspect of faculty structure, publications in international journals, scientific researches, budgets, teaching programs, talents training, and case development. However he pointed out that the current challenges of RBS are the declining performance of high-end management, the fierce competition of MBA programs, and the retirement of excellent faculty members. He accordingly put forward the three targets of 2015, the innovation and reform of teaching programs, refinement of scientific research management and the improvement of teaching facilities.

Professor Mao Jiye’s remarks are followed by the Associate Deans Song Hua and Liu Xiangdong, and Senior Associate Dean Huang Jiangming’s respective report of EMBA program, EE program, alumni donation, etc.

Professor Mao Jiye, Dean of RBS

The committee members, after debriefing, spoke highly of the remarkable accomplishments RBS achieved in the past years, especially in 2014, also pointing out the leading group’s straightforwardness and efficiency when problem-solving. They mainly focused on the discussion of development strategy, development and employment of cases, alumni donation, the introduction of practice-based faculty talents, and devoted many valuable opinions and suggestions.

Professor Chen Yulu, President of RUC, delivered his concluding speech on behalf of RUC. He dedicated his congratulations on the success of the annual meeting of RBS International Advisory Committee and his gratitude towards the committee’s support for RUC and RBS. Chen hoped that RBS would take the opinions from committee members into practical development in the background of comprehensive reform of RUC, turning “the new normal” into “the superior normal”, achieving the innovation in concept and breakthrough in practice.

At the end of the meeting, Chen awarded certificates to the new committee members, including Hu Jinglin, Deputy Minister of Finance, P.R.C, Liu Yonghao, Board Chairman of New Hope Group, Zhang Lei, Chairman and CEO of Hillhouse Capital Management Group, Ltd, and Ravi Kumar, Dean of Business College of Nanyang Technological University.

Opinions from Committee Members

Nicholas Charles Hope AM

The EE Program is highly valuable to RBS as it could associate it with China’s practice to maintain and even enhance competitiveness in confrontation with new situations.

As to case development, the following questions should be considered. What kind of case we should develop? Which of the following fields would our cases target? Standardized manufacturing, service industry or agriculture? Are the cases able to be applied to teaching and practice? In the aspect of alumni relation, the donation and maintenance of network are both important issues. The top schools of business abroad are quite experienced in attracting practice-based professors. RUC could follow and bring in those talents for policy research and improvement of teaching quality.

Santiago Iniguez de Ozono

There are three main profit channels among Business Schools in Europe. Private universities mainly rely on the tuition. Public universities attribute 25% profit to donation. The third one is those business schools that are a subsidy from chambers of commerce. Non-profit universities depend on effective management to gain profit and reward. Management of profit is far more important than production of it.

K. Ravi Kumar

In Asia, Korea has established the tradition of enterprise donation on account of the mutual benefit via contribution to society. The scale of governmental matching fund is 1:1 or 1:5 in Singapore. The strong awareness of donation is prevalent among the local enterprises. How to promote alumni donation? Apart from the promise of centralized power or the professional fundraising team, the alumni board plays an important role in launching fund-raising activity. Above all, alumni need to be motivated to contribute to their alma mater.

Yoon-Dae Euh

RBS is not in lack of its own excellent professors who have good knowledge of the domestic situation and environment. Theoretically speaking, it is tough work to compete with top business schools of Stanford, MIT, etc. However, focusing on the differentiation of cases is a very successful strategy of case center. It will not only arouse foreigners’ interest in international cooperation with Chinese enterprises, but also help win the financial support.

Moreover, I see the necessity in hiring practice-based professors. As business study requires strong practical ability, which is the weakness of young scholars with overseas education, but the strength of those practice-based professors whose teaching methods would be very attractive to students.

As to the issue of donation, there is the general doubt of the necessity of donation on the premise that the government has appropriated funds for RUC. It is a huge challenge to raise fund with such misunderstanding. The key point is that the alumni should be motivated to be involved in the cause of fund-raising, from which they can establish a deeper emotional attachment with their alma mater.

Feng Zhenglin

The key point is what kind of talents RBS expects to produce. RBS should give serious consideration to its development under the policy premise of the deepened economic reform. RBS should concern itself with the training of coordinating thinking pattern, for instance, to relate strategic thinking with technological thinking. On the one hand, the strategic thinking helps to understand and predicate the development of market; on the other hand, the technological thinking assists in solving the specific problems. In addition, I really appreciate the system of practice-based professors. It not only serves the purpose of business study but also manifests the feature of RBS.

Zhao Chunjun

It is highly admirable that RBS could confront itself with the problems and actively raise solutions to them. The outline of solutions is actually satisfying under the disadvantaged environment.

To elevate the level of our faculty members is the most crucial part, especially to give guidance to those young scholars back from international academic atmosphere. RBS has only offered them guidance in essay publication, which might lead to their disinterest in research of local issues, or even give up the tradition of devoting academic effort to China’s practice. Meanwhile, we need to improve the faculty structure and introduce practice-based professors. Developed countries have already had tremendous achievement in this area. Under China’s circumstance, the numbers of those professors should be put within control in case of any unexpected negative effects.

Wang Jianxi

Firstly, the issue of faculty structure. RBS could hire the retired professors in a legal and proper way and carry out the employment system of practice-based professors. Secondly, the establishment of Case Center. I do agree on the importance of case application. I advise to collect and systemize the cases by themes, for example, enterprise innovation, the success and failure of online companies, etc. Last but not least, the alumni affairs. The guidance and support from RBS plays the key role in improvement. The strong and effective leadership is needed to participate in the alumni affairs.

Wang Yuying

My suggestion is to have a strong, practical, thorough and large scaled Case Center, which could be most effective and applicable. I also like the employment system of practice-based professors. It would help students relate theory to practice. The alumni association should attach more importance to propaganda and improvement of recognition.

Hao Quan

EMBA Program is challenged and needs to make changes in the aspect of product updating, marketing channels and customer service. As to the alumni donation, I have been the donor and the recipient. Fund-raising requires for mature system of regulations and human resources. To improve the transparency of donation and motivating the donors is quite significant from the perspective of the donor. Therefore, we need to have good communication with the donors and make them accessible to the whereabouts of the donation.

Liu Yonghao (represented by Guo Ping)

The four key words of alumni affairs include “concept”, “service”, “value” and “guidance”. Firstly, the transformation of our concept. The president of Harvard would not forget his mission of fund-raising at any occasion. I hope the leading group of RUC and RBS could devote more effort to fund-raising. Secondly, the service for alumni. Providing alumni with good service might motivate them to participate in the donation. Effective communication would help to improve their recognition and attachment to their alma mater.

Feng Yujun (represented by Lin Zhiying)

We can see more and more young faces in the management team of enterprises at home. The courses of RBS should make according adjustment to the change. The training at RBS could focus more on the development of newly-rising enterprises at home, succession and education in family business, transnational management of enterprises in varied types. Meanwhile, RBS could attempt to discover the training demand in those enterprises, and pay more attention to the new educational platform, such as MOOC.

Chen Yulu (concluding speech)

On behalf of RUC, I shall dedicate my congratulations on the success of the annual meeting of RBS International Advisory Committee and my gratitude towards the committee’s support for RBS and treasurable opinions and constructive suggestions.

The core issue of this meeting is about where is the future path of RBS, a member of the leading group of China’s business schools, namely, the direction, strategy and emphasis of development. RBS has accomplished the first transformation and improved the international level after acquiring the international certification in Europe and America. The next step is to become the No. 1 business school in China. China’s economy has moved to the phase of “New Normal” with huge opportunities and challenges. Our top concern should be seizing the chance, pushing the innovation and realizing the “Superior Normal”. We shall support any program that is creative and localized.

Firstly, we shall show our support to the institutional reform of human resources related to the management of employment system of practice-based professors as the core issue of RBS reform scheme.

Secondly, the case study that many committee members care about. RUC is devoting to the establishment of China Case Center of Social Science, in which aspect RUC has strong competitive advantage in overall disciplines. RBS can be the pioneers in this area to host case study competitions of social science.

Thirdly, the alumni affairs and social donation. The public colleges in China mainly depend on the financial support from Ministry of Education. We have been taking serious regards in alumni affairs and improve the quality of facilities and faculty. We see better outcome in key donation programs and inadequate devotion to regular programs.

Fourthly, the online education with the example of MOOC. We shall pay continuous attention to the development of MOOC and find the most suitable mode for our university.

Last but not least, I hope that the party leading body would have penetrating insight of new challenges that RBS might encounter in future development and seized the new opportunities. I also hope that RBS could adopt the opinions and suggestions from the committee members and put them into innovation, turning the “New Normal” into the “Superior Normal” and achieving the stride forward not only in concept but also in practice.