The mid-June graduation ceremony for the first class to complete the EMBA-Global Asia programme was an occasion for celebration. But it was also a chance for students and faculty to reflect on the experiences of the past 20 months and consider if the intended objectives - personal and organisational - had been met.
The consensus was a resounding 'yes', but with the corollary - from graduates - that the next step is to target new challenges and career goals and - from academics - that refining course content and structure is an ongoing process.
The programme is run jointly by the University of Hong Kong (HKU) Business School, London Business School and New York's Columbia Business School. It was designed to offer something extra for executives aiming to reach the highest echelons of international business. And with classes at top universities in three of the world's leading financial centres, it combines core modules with a wide choice of electives that explore the changing face of global business.
For Madrid-based graduate Miguel Lorrio, whose background is in banking and finance, the big attraction was the chance to expand his horizons.
'Typically, when you work in any organisation, you are restricted to one area and not really aware of what is going on elsewhere,' says Lorrio, who won a special mention for clocking up most air miles during the course. 'You may be an expert in finance, but there are many other elements to getting to board level. It takes a broader academic education and a more general kind of experience.'
Wherever you work, he adds, you tend to get the firm's take on events and exposure to just their culture. To improve as a manager, though, it is essential to know what is happening 'out there' and not measure yourself continually against the same standards and benchmarks.
In his view, the programme's 'added value' was being able to learn from classmates in different industries and seeing why and how things are done in other parts of the world.