News from the 10th anniversary celebration of MBA education in China on November 28 say that China will make reforms and advances in its domestic MBA education starting in the new year.

One big step forward is that China will officially begin its first EMBA (Executive Master of Business Administration) programme next year based on the experience gained in MBA education in the past 10 years, according to Li Jun, deputy director of the degree office under the State Council.

Although some domestic universities do offer EMBA training, they are currently all joint venture programmes.

Also, Li said in his speech that starting next October, when the new round of the MBA application process begins, some MBA programmes will have more freedom to decide how many students to admit and to set the lowest required admission test score.

Currently the number of available positions and the pass score for each programme are rationed and set by the Ministry of Education.

Another development is that the number of required subjects for the MBA entrance examination will be reduced in the future, according to Zhao Chunjun, deputy director of the China MBA Education Oversight Committee, and also dean of the Economics and Management Department of Tsinghua University.

Zhao said the new range of required subjects is expected to be decided by a special committee set up expressly for that purpose, and may be put into effect starting with applicants for 2003 MBA entry if approved by the Ministry of Education.

Sixty-two Chinese universities currently offer MBA courses.

The total number of MBA students, by the year 2001, will be 47,000, including those studying part-time.

In 10 years of MBA education, China has produced 12,041 degree holders.

(China Daily 12/06/2001)