Professor Hewson, who assumed his post in August last year, has set about turning the school into what he terms the first 'truly Asian' business school.

'There are a lot of business schools in Asia, but there is no Asian business school,' he says. 'What I am trying to do is build the first truly Asian business school.'

Opened in Australia in 1969, MGSM has well-established operations in Hong Kong and Singapore and is poised to enter Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, the mainland, Vietnam and the United Arab Emirates. Negotiations are under way to expand into markets such as South Korea, Japan, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Taiwan.

The goal? To be the market leader in this diverse, competitive and bustling region.

Professor Hewson has had an accomplished career. An economist, businessman and former leader of the Liberal-National Party in Australia, he believes in practising what he teaches.

'It is only going to be on the basis of making money,' he promises. 'I am only willing to go somewhere if I can cover the cost. It is a business decision, not an academic decision. It is all about running a business school like a business so that is why I am going to have to have a lot of alliances.'

While many business schools are eager to expand their operations as quickly as possible, MGSM takes a more cautious approach, paying particular attention to quality control - whether it is the faculty recruited, the programmes launched or the students enrolled.

Because of the important roles that networking and cross-fertilisation play in the business school classroom, students are usually drawn from various business sectors and backgrounds. Entry standards are high so that all participants can not only learn from their professors but share their experiences and expertise with their classmates.

'We do not just want to go for volume,' Professor Hewson says. 'A lot of Australian business schools have recruited a lot of Chinese students and they have made a lot of money. We are trying to position ourselves as a quality school, and it costs us both numbers and revenues. But I am not going to compromise on quality. It is the only thing I've got going for me.

'That's very unusual for a business school in Asia, but it is part of a focused strategy.'

Part of that strategy involves attracting the best faculty that money can buy. The same academics teaching courses in Australia lead courses in Hong Kong.

'The world is full of business schools,' Professor Hewson says. 'We do not just recruit top-rate professors. We also bring in the top names in business and government.'

The teaching approach employed is highly interactive. Case studies, syndicate work, computer simulations, research assignments, formal lectures, guest presentations, role-plays, class discussions and site visits are all employed.

Students are also encouraged to do work-related projects so that learning is immediately applicable. Course units generally comprise 40 hours of face-to-face teaching together with about 120 hours of syndicate work, preparation for lectures and exams, assignments and research.

Assessment is continual and examination-based.

In Hong Kong, MGSM offers an intensive 18-month Master of Management in alliance with the Hong Kong Management Association. The programme allows participants to specialise in general management, marketing management, human resources management, international management, financial management, logistics and operations management or information technology management.

So what sets the programme apart from an MBA? Taught at the same level, it has been designed for students wanting to reach the top echelons of management.

A conventional MBA, established three decades ago, is also offered. Covering 16 course units, it includes core units in marketing management, human resource management, accounting for management, economic context of management, financial management, information and decision analysis, operations management and strategic behaviour. Students also choose from seven electives.

Students enrolling in the MBA programme receive full credit for course units completed in the Master of Management programme.

The school does more than provide award-bearing courses. In addition to a Doctor of Business Administration, it provides corporate training and consulting services to both business and government. Launched in Hong Kong 10 years ago, MGSM has carved out a secure niche in a very competitive market.

'We are already the largest face-to-face foreign provider of business education in Hong Kong,' Professor Hewson says. 'Over the years, we have enrolled 954 postgraduates students here.'