Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/269179
32 March/April 2014 BizEd Biggest market change More schools are seeking to differ- entiate their MBA programs. Some have tailored their programs to serve specific industries such as healthcare, aviation, real estate, or small and medium enterprises. On market differentiation To differentiate our school, we pur- sued and achieved AACSB accredi- tation. We're also expanding our international network and investi- gating other accreditation and qual- ity improvement systems. At the same time, we've internationalized our board of directors to include members from Belgium, Canada, Italy, South Korea, and Switzerland. In addition, we've worked with the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University in Bloomington to develop a dual-degree program. This helps us internationalize our program and gives our students access to the Kelley School's faculty and extensive knowledge base. Finally, we've developed a bilin- gual program for Thai students and an English language program for students from other countries. We know that to be an international school, we have to teach in the lan- guage of international business. On aligning research with mission Achieving AACSB accreditation, with its emphasis on mission, made us realize that we could best serve our market by doing research that aligns with our strategic direction and that satisfies our stakeholders and funding agencies. In the past, we emphasized publishing research in high-impact journals, but that research did not necessarily support our strategy, so the knowledge devel- oped didn't always benefit our stu- dents and their employers. We have decided that what works best for us is pursuing research that impacts our business communities and our coun- tries, and publishing our findings in international and school journals. On the Thai advantage During the past five years, because of the U.S. financial crisis, ethics in finance has been a topic that seemed to take center stage at Western business schools. But in Thailand— partly because of our culture and the Thai philosophy of maintaining balance and harmony—we place less emphasis on financial perfor- mance than other countries do. One advantage we have is that our region and nearby regions are experiencing economic growth. For that reason, foundational knowl- edge about certain industries has already been created through con- sulting and research projects. This makes it somewhat easier to match students' needs with the right knowledge because our faculty are already familiar with problems that many companies face. On the flow of students from East to West Several barriers discourage a major- ity of Asian students from study- Differentiating in Thailand Viput Ongsakul is dean of the NIDA Business School in Bangkok, Thailand. One advantage we have is that our region and nearby regions are experiencing economic growth. Haub School of Business | Saint Joseph's University | 5600 City Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19131 sju.edu/haub Haub School of Business The best executive decision you can make. Haub has it. On campus and online. Dean Joseph A. DiAngelo Jr., Ed.D. MKCOM5643_SHD010R-Biz Ed Ad_012114.indd 2 1/23/14 4:41 PM