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SCMP Reporter

Many Hong Kong students seeking an internationally respected distance-learning MBA are turning to Henley College.

The college was established in 1945 as an executive education institution for experienced managers and mid-career executives to prepare them for senior management.

'We are unique in the British system - a private, non-profit organisation,' says Professor Ian Turner, director of graduate business studies, who is based in Britain.

It is one of only four triple-accredited schools in Britain - the accreditations being from the European Foundation for Management Development (Equis), Association of MBAs (AMBA) and the International Association for Management Education (AACSP) in the United States.

Henley's campus is about 50 kilometres outside London and accommodates up to 112 programme members. The college began offering MBA programmes in 1972 and a distance-learning MBA in 1984.

While it also offers a doctoral programme in business administration it does not offer undergraduate programmes.

In retrospect, the offering of distance education was a far-sighted move and Henley was one of the first players in the market for this type of learning programme.

Its management recognised a trend that managers are increasingly busy and are, therefore, able to devote less time to traditional executive education programmes.

The future lay with distance learning, says Professor Turner.

The school was granted a Royal Charter in 1991 and six years later degree-awarding powers. On campus, there are research centres for the study of, for example, knowledge in a digital economy; organisational representation; and non-profit management.

Part of Henley's offerings includes tailoring specific programmes to suit individual corporate needs.

Using the same core MBA programme components, the school designed workshops specifically around IBM Europe, which has some 700 people studying in the programme.

It has done the same for Standard Chartered Bank, working for the past 10 years with senior managers in Asia, China, Hong Kong and India, says Professor Turner.

The school admitted its first students in Hong Kong in 1985. With three intakes annually - April, August and December, and around 15 students admitted each time - there are now 230 graduates of the programme in the SAR and some 320 students currently studying the three-year programme, which costs GBP11,000 (HK$134,000), including all materials.

Programme participants must be at least 27 years old with at least three years' management experience. Professor Turner says that the average age of participants in Hong Kong is 36, with typically 10 years' work experience.

As English is the medium of instruction, all students are expected to be fluent in the language.

Teaching is conducted through e-learning and the Internet with workshops to facilitate face-to-face interaction, networking, communication and mutual feedback.

All students are divided into study groups for similar reasons.

Tutors are recruited locally to give local context, also provided through case studies while the overall programme maintains its international outlook. Henley is now working on an elective on Asian management.

'At the end of the day, with an MBA from Henley you should be able to operate anywhere in the world,' says Professor Turner.

Assessment is practical - what is important is whether students can apply the theoretical learning to hypothetical situations and come up with solutions to problems.

For each course module there is an examination based on case studies. Participants are also expected to complete a strategy project and a 15,000-word dissertation on a specific management issue.

For the past eight years, Henley has partnered the South China Morning Post  to offer scholarships to deserving students. This year, the Post  is again offering two scholarships to local executives, valued at more than HK$140,000 each, which covers tuition, course materials and workshops.

'Even though the programme is good value there may be some deserving individuals who still find it beyond their means. We want to encourage academic achievers to come aboard,' says Professor Turner.

Graphic: CLSTAFgsp



Pioneering pays off in distance learning