Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/269179
47 BizEd March/April 2014 LE U NGCHOPAN /TH I N KSTOCK ness graduates must learn how to function in multicultural settings. Once again, Singapore is ide- ally situated to promote this type of education, because it has strong ties to the U.S., as well as China and India, and its own population is multicultural. While SMU has numerous bilateral partnerships with Chinese, Indian, and U.S. schools, its next step might well be to bring several universities together to create seamless cross-cultural business communication. INSEAD, which has campuses in France, Sin- gapore, and Abu Dhabi, is already striving for that multicultural ideal. Also offering opportunities for multicultural business education are consortia made up of business school members from several conti- nents. These include Trium, whose members are New York University, the London School of Econom- ics and Political Science, and HEC School of Management; and OneMBA, whose members are the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Erasmus University, Tecnológico de Monterrey Graduate School of Business Administration and Lead- ership (EGADE), the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Escola de Administração de Empre- sas de São Paulo da Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV-EAESP). Other schools—such as my own, Kennesaw State University (KSU) in Georgia—are developing busi- ness education programs designed to impart true multicultural busi- ness savvy. The nonprofit India China America (ICA) Institute housed at Kennesaw was formed to drive synergies among the three countries in the areas of emerging markets, commercial growth, and alignment of policies. In one tri- Why Singapore? As international business schools seek ways to make their programs more multicultural, they could learn from the approach taken by institutions in Sin- gapore. Universities located there start out with a geographic advantage, on top of other key cultural and regulatory benefits. Many Western and Eastern corporations have set up headquarters there; its population includes an eth- nic mix of Malay, Chinese, and Indian citizens, as well as Western expatriates. In addition, its far-sighted government has shown itself to be the world's most business-friendly regulatory environment, according to a 2013 report from the World Bank and International Finance Corporation. Thus, it's no surprise that Singapore is rapidly evolving into a regional and global educational hub. I've been particularly impressed by Singapore Management University and its Lee Kong Chian School of Business, under the deanship of How- ard Thomas. SMU has capitalized on its location to become a model for educating global business leaders. Over the last two years, the school has developed a long-term strategic focus on China, India, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)—and in many cases, its initiatives have been led by top school administrators. For instance, president Arnoud De Meyer is spearheading the "Be China Ready" initiative, which will increase opportunities for student exchanges and promote more trade and political collaboration between Singapore and China. Provost Rajendra Srivastava is heading the India strategy, which will include a partnership between the school and the Bombay Stock Exchange to provide cutting-edge education for future Indian finance professionals. Vice president Annie Koh is leading the Business Family Institute, which has established strong partnerships with leading universities and organizations in Asia, Europe, and the United States to provide solid business grounding for the multitude of family businesses in Asia and beyond. In addition, SMU has developed cases about Asian business problems and strategies, and it boasts that these are now used on every continent save Antarctica. By the time all these separate strands are combined together in one multilateral effort, SMU will be in the enviable position of being able to impart to the West the knowledge that is needed to succeed in the East. Why Singapore? As international business schools seek ways to make their programs more multicultural, they could learn from the approach taken by institutions in Sin- gapore. Universities located there start out with a geographic advantage, on top of other key cultural and regulatory benefits. Many Western and Eastern corporations have set up headquarters there; its population includes an eth- nic mix of Malay, Chinese, and Indian citizens, as well as Western expatriates. ndian citizens, as well as Western expatriates. ndian citizens, as well as W In addition, its far-sighted government has shown itself to be the world's most business-friendly regulatory environment, according to a 2013 report from the World Bank and World Bank and W International Finance Corporation. Thus, it's no surprise that Singapore is rapidly evolving into a regional and global educational hub. I've been particularly impressed by Singapore Management University and its Lee Kong Chian School of Business, under the deanship of How- ard Thomas. SMU has capitalized on its location to become a model for educating global business leaders. Over the last two years, the school has developed a long-term strategic focus on China, India, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)—and in many cases, its initiatives have been led by top school administrators. For instance, president Arnoud De Meyer is spearheading the "Be China Ready" initiative, which will increase opportunities for student exchanges and promote more trade and political collaboration between Singapore and China. Provost Rajendra Srivastava is heading the India strategy, which will include a partnership between the school and the Bombay Stock Exchange to provide cutting-edge education for future Indian finance professionals. Vice president Annie Koh is leading the Business Family Institute, which has established strong partnerships with leading universities and organizations in Asia, Europe, and the United States to provide solid business grounding for the multitude of family businesses in Asia and beyond. In addition, SMU has developed cases about Asian business problems and strategies, and it boasts that these are now used on every continent save Antarctica. By the time all these separate strands are combined together in one multilateral effort, SMU will be in the enviable position of being able to impart to the West the knowledge that is needed to succeed in the impart to the West the knowledge that is needed to succeed in the impart to the W East.