Hong Kong university joins forces with Russian institution to launch EMBA programme

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has partnered with the Moscow School of Management (SKOLKOVO) to launch a dual-degree EMBA programme, a response to the development of a Eurasian economy thanks to the “Belt and Road Initiative”.

“The market is eager for high-level business education which ties closely to the area,” says Dr Steven DeKrey, associate dean at the HKUST and chairman of Academic Council at SKOLKOVO .

“The One Belt, One Road (OBOR), [as Beijing’s trade initiative used to be known] involves over 60 countries and a population of 4.4 billion, and covering over 30 per cent of the world’s GDP,” DeKrey says.

“Such [an] initiative to build connectivity to integrate Asia with Europe is unprecedented. As a result, the demand for talents equipped with new skills and knowledge who can navigate well in such integration becomes obvious,” DeKrey says.

Courses such as “Doing Business in China and Asia”, “Doing Business in Russia and Commonwealth of Independent States” and “Doing Business in Europe” will be provided to students for them to better understand the business environment and culture of those regions. “Other than Moscow and Hong Kong, five to six international trips will include Belt and Road countries: mainland China, Israel, Kazakhstan and Switzerland among others,” DeKrey says.

The part-time course, targeted to roll out in November, requires students to complete 15 modules within 17 months, two one-month breaks inclusive. The tuition fee is US$130,000, and class intake will be 40 this year.