Courses for top businessmen and women need to be highly practical to help companies be more competitive, a seminar was told. That was the aim of the Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) course at City University, said Professor Richard Ho Yan-ki, as he introduced its programmes. 'The content should be practical enough to assist students in keeping up with their business,' said Professor Ho. CityU's new EMBA concentrated on China and service industries, he said. 'The challenges of further integration of Hong Kong's business with Greater China are uplifting and the shift to a service-oriented economy drives us to set up more training to keep up with the rapidly changing business environment.' The course is aimed at experienced business people. CityU's business department received $1.1 million in research grants for 34 projects in 1994-95. Venus Tang Lai-wah, financial controller at Star Telecom Limited, said she joined the seminar to find out which courses would be relevant to her business. 'My criteria in choosing an EMBA course is whether it can help me cultivate knowledge in strategic planning and service management,' she said. Fritz Louie, Senior Vice-President of Great Honest Finance and Investment Company said he would weigh up the practicality of the course. Mr Louie said EMBA courses featuring Chinese management practices were more popular as business ties between Hong Kong and China became closer. He said: 'If I wanted a bachelor degree, I would consider the university's status. But that's not the case with EMBA courses. They should be practical.'
