Personal connections are important for getting ahead in your career. Therefore participants of distance-learning MBA programmes may rightly worry about not meeting fellow students to share thoughts and experiences.
But they should not worry, say administrators of Henley Management College, a business school in Britain that provides a distance MBA in Hong Kong.
Dr Thomas Tang Sek-khuen, a part-time tutor in the programme, says students get plenty of opportunities to interact with each other through home study. Some establish local study groups while others stay in touch via e-mail or by telephone.
But the real networking firepower comes from attending the monthly discussion forums organised by Henley's 200 active alumni members in Hong Kong. Dr Tang, who graduated from Henley's full-time programme in 1991, is also chairman of the Henley Alumni Association (HK).
He says students taking the distance MBA are fortunate that the college supports a dedicated office in Wan Chai, complete with library and meeting rooms. The office also doubles as a forum for social get-togethers where former graduates are invited to give presentations on topics relevant to their experience.
'It allows networking to take place post-MBA,' Dr Tang says. 'It's an opportunity to network with people who have been through a similar experience and similar processes.'