Prominent scholars and business leaders around the globe came to Hangzhou on October 21 for the Fifth International Advisory Board (IAB) Annual Meeting of the School of Management at Zhejiang University. The morning plenary session featured three keynote speeches and roundtable discussion with more than 400 faculty members, students, and alumni gathering together to learn and exchange views on the theme of "building a world-leading management school rooted in China."

In his welcome address, Professor WEI Jiang, Dean of School of Management Zhejiang University expressed gratitude and appreciation to all the board members for their continuous support and contribution to the School. “Through the meeting, we hope to reflect on the School’s research and education from a multinational and multicultural point of view and hear from our IAB members on how to enhance the School’s global profile,” said Dean WEI.

Dean WEI Jiang is giving a welcome address

As a new member of the Board, Professor. YANG Wei, the academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, former Director of National Natural Science Foundation of China, and former President of Zhejiang University was invited to join and deliver a keynote. He pointed out that we should think highly of academia, talents, innovation, culture, and internationalization in response to the “Double Excellency” (“Double First-class Initiative”). Professor YANG elaborated the goals and dimensions of double excellency and the opportunities brought up by the initiative for Chinese Universities on their way towards the goal of excellence.

Prof. YANG Wei is delivering a keynote speech

Professor. Anandalingam, Ralph J. Tyser Professor of Management Science at Robert H. Smith School of Business, former Dean of Imperial College Business School, explored “building a world-leading business school” adopting the famous 4P theory in Marketing. Started with re-thinking the context and position of business school, he put out a series of thoughts on “who are you”, “what programs are you providing”, “what is your market for programs”, “which scholars will you attract”, and “what, where and how to promote” etc. “It is often more beneficial to focus on a handful of meaningful core partnerships. You have to be careful about getting into ‘partnership without purpose’.” He added.

Prof. Anand is delivering a keynote speech

“Future business schools call for innovations that are based on the actual demands of the students instead of fixed patterns,” emphasized by Professor Chris Earley, Dean of UTS Business School, University of Technology Sydney and former Dean of Krannert School of Management Purdue University. Professor Earley put forward the idea of issuing new types of certificate in complementary to the traditional diplomas and pointed out that these so-called “micro-certificates” not only benefit students academically, but also improve their interpersonal skills, negotiation, and capabilities that could be tremendously critical to their future occupation, setting up a good example of what we can actually implement as a world-class innovative business school.

Prof. Earley is delivering a keynote speech

In the following round table discussion, moderated by Professor ZHOU Weihua, Associate Dean of the School, panelists shared thoughts on “how to stand out as a world-class school”, “how to keep the balance between research and teaching”, and “how should the School incorporate with the University in pursuing the goal” etc.

From left to right: Prof. ZHOU Weihua, Mr. WANG Jianzhou, Prof. YANG Wei, Prof. Anand, Prof. Earley and Prof. Li Shuxing

Panalists in the round-table discussion

The IAB members held its annual meeting in the afternoon, probing into talent cultivation, academic research, and global impact and generating lots of ideas and comments that need to be operationalized and transformed into the impetus for the School’s next round of development.