The Oxford Executive MBA recognises the critical importance of internationalism to the careers of its students. The challenges facing business are now irreducibly global and connected, and high-level management education must recognise the importance of different perspectives and experiences.
To ensure that EMBA students have a truly global experience, the Oxford Executive MBA incorporates an overseas module during the second year of study. This week-long module takes place outside the UK and is an intensive week of study and visits built around an important international theme. The module culminates in students writing and submitting a detailed consultancy report (the 'core project'). The overseas module is intended to provide students with exposure to some of the key ideas shaping globalisation.
For each overseas module, teaching and course direction are conducted by Oxford faculty. A typical week involves a mixture of classroom work, guest presentations and visits to appropriate companies, organisations and projects.
April 2011 module: the challenges of doing business in China
During their week in China EMBA students gained an understanding of how competitive advantage is shaped in China, the implications this competition has for global business, and develop the tools needed to do business in this challenging environment.
The week-long overseas module was delivered by Eric Thun,Peter Moores Lecturer in Chinese Business Studies, in conjunction with local business leaders. It exposed participants to the challenges to global businesses posed by the rise of China as a major global power, and provided an opportunity to combine classroom activities with visits to local companies, guest speakers and project work.
Companies that participants visited included:
- Volvo Construction Equipment
- Xizi Otis Elevator, a joint venture between the Xizi and Otis elevators and one of the largest producers of elevators in the world
- Wensli Group, one of the largest producers of silk clothing and products in China
- State Street, an American-based financial services
- Bosch Power Tools, manufacturer of a wide array of products in China
- Ping An Bank, the commercial banking division of the Ping An Insurance Group, the first integrated financial services conglomerate in China
- Zhongya Machinery, a Sino-Australian joint venture, which produces packaging machinery
- Touchmedia, which utilizes state-of-the-art touchscreen technology to transform advertising effectiveness for its clients by making it more involving for consumers
- Climate Bridge, an organisation devoted to fighting climate change with a distinctive perspective on dealing with state-owned firms in China
- PepsiCo, leading multinational firm
- Nielsen, a leading global market research
- Linklaters, a leading global law firm