Management Learning also offers courses in applied statistics and hospitality management from Sheffield Hallam University, and a Diploma in Management from the University of Leicester's Management Centre.

Mr Weatherhead says there is strong demand in Hong Kong for postgraduate and other business courses, greater than that from his company's other main Asian operating bases in Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.

'Hong Kong is our biggest operation. It is probably bigger than the sum of the other parts. There is good demand but, because of the number of courses available, I think supply is still stronger than demand.'

At management level, the MBA remains the most popular course in Management Learning's experience, Mr Weatherhead says.

'The MBA is the benchmark people are aiming for.'

The University of Bradford MBA is ranked among the top 50 in the world by the Financial Times.

The course is recognised by the Association of MBAs in Britain, and is accredited by the European Foundation for Management Development (Equis.)

The Bradford MBA involves about 1,800 hours of study. The distance learning course starts each year in January, April, July and October. Mr Weatherhead says this time schedule also applies to Management Learning's other main programmes.

The taught component of the Bradford MBA course can be completed in anything from 21 months to six years, according to the university. Stage one involves six foundation courses covering management basics. Stage two is made up of a further eight specialist modules. In stage three, the final stage, students complete a management project where they find a solution to some challenging business management issue facing an organisation.

To graduate with an MBA from the University of Western Sydney, offered by its Sydney Graduate School of Management, students must complete eight core subjects, three elective subjects, and an industry report. The university says its course is designed to 'assist managers and potential managers to face the increasing pressures associated with the need to demonstrate professional competence, through the efficient and effective management of the human, financial and physical resources under their control'.

It says its MBA course encourages problem-solving and action-learning among students.

Mr Weatherhead says the Bradford MBA is a general MBA: 'You do not specialise, but the modules cover a very wide range of disciplines.'

The Sydney MBA, on the other hand, offers students the opportunity to specialise in subjects of their choice, such as finance, information technology, people management or international management issues. The University of Western Sydney takes in about 200 new students a year in Australia, with an additional 150 distance-learning students enrolling from Hong Kong.

'We are just one location. They also recruit in China, among other places,' Mr Weatherhead says.

Graduation ceremonies for the Sydney MBA are held in Hong Kong once a year, usually in November. They are attended by the chancellor, vice-chancellor and course directors, in addition to the graduating students and their families.

'Our Bradford programme is at an early stage. It has been running less than a year. Once we get to the stage of having graduates, we will consider local graduation ceremonies.'

Apart from its MBAs and other postgraduate courses, Management Learning offers a wide range of other courses, including diplomas for students without a bachelor degree from the University of Leicester.

'For many students this is a stepping stone to an MBA. Some students without a bachelor degree do not want to study another three years to get one. If you have five years' working experience, you can get into the diploma course, then go on and do the MBA course without getting a degree.'

A diploma course can be completed in about 15 months.

Prospective students in Management Learning courses have until Wednesday to meet the next enrolment deadline.