From April 15th to 17th, Dean Zhi Yang of the School of Management led a delegation to Atlanta, USA, to attend the AACSB 2024 Annual Global Member Conference (AACSB ICAM). The conference brought together over 1,200 representatives and exhibitors from 58 countries and regions, including over 50 colleagues from more than 20 Chinese institutions. The event featured two keynote speeches on "Envisioning the Business School of the Future" and "The Power of a Positive Mindset in Adversity," empowering peers in business education from the perspectives of technology and humanity. Zhi Yang and his team participated in thematic discussions on "Artificial Intelligence and Online Learning: Challenge or Opportunity" and "Innovation and Entrepreneurship Research" among other sub-forums, engaging in in-depth exchanges with global business school peers.
During the conference, Zhi Yang met with AACSB Global Vice President Geoff Perry, introducing the preparation for our school's re-accreditation. Our school successfully obtained the initial AACSB accreditation in 2020 and received a 5-year accreditation period, with the re-accreditation scheduled for November this year. Preparations for re-accreditation are currently underway actively. Zhi Yang extended an invitation for Geoff Perry to visit our school. Geoff Perry highly praised our school's international influence and the current preparation work for re-accreditation and invited our school to participate in subsequent AACSB series of meetings.
Zhi Yang met with Chandra Subramaniam, Dean of the College of Business at California State University, Northridge. Zhi Yang introduced the international cooperation of our school, focusing on the curriculum arrangement and preparation of the Huazhong University of Science and Technology - California State University, Northridge Summer Program. He expressed gratitude for the support provided by Northridge in the early preparation, student selection, and funding of the project, and invited Dean Subramaniam to visit our school at a convenient time. Dean Subramaniam thanked the school and the college for the hard work put into the preparation of the project and looked forward to its smooth progress. Both parties are interested in expanding cooperation in the undergraduate training model of "internship + professional qualification."
In December 2023, Huazhong University of Science and Technology and California State University, Northridge, signed a cooperation framework agreement to formally establish a summer program. In February of this year, our school and the business school of that university initiated to launch a one-month summer program. In April of this year, after a multi-stage selection process, 18 American students were chosen from 200 applicants to study management accounting courses at our school in July. The project is co-taught by Chinese and American teachers, and the course credits are recognized by Northridge. Students participating in the project will receive special funding from the China Scholarship Council. The program has been integrated into our university's global summer school program "Inquiring Learning at Huazhong University of Science and Technology," which helps to expand the cooperation between our school and American universities.
Zhi Yang engaged in a productive exchange with Sophie Kacki, the person in charge of the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) international organization. Zhi Yang focused on introducing the basic situation of our school in international certification and participation in international organizations and learned in detail about the application process and requirements for joining PRME. Established in 2007, PRME is an initiative supported by the United Nations, aiming to improve the sustainability of business and management education through seven principles focusing on serving society and protecting the planet. PRME is one of the international organizations that our school is about to join in the "Belt and Road" plan.
Zhi Yang and his team took a group photo with Chinese representatives attending the conference, including Tsinghua University and Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business.
This visit is an important action for the School of Management to deeply implement the "Huazhong University of Science and Technology Global Development Strategy 2030" and actively expand educational exchanges and cooperation with the United States under new circumstances, effectively promoting the school's international certification work and cultural exchanges with American universities. Antai Li, Director of the International Affairs Office of the School of Management, also participated in the conference.
