City University of Macau Case Study

The Business School Challenge

The Faculty of Business, City University of Macau in China summarised its challenges into three primary areas; stakeholders, sustainability, and curriculum.

Firstly, shifting the mindset of stakeholders has been the business school’s most significant challenge on its path to internationalisation and accreditation. The school wanted to develop closer partnerships with enterprises in Macau and the Greater Bay area; specifically looking at building not just on links with local organisations (such as the various chambers of commerce and the Macau Forum) but also taking advantage of the school’s impressive and under-used network of alumni in the region, and across China.

Secondly, sustainability, the business school’s strategic goals placed more emphasis on instrumental and technical aspects. Measuring the impact of the school’s contributions to sustainability was an area that its leadership team wanted to be further enhanced and strengthened.

In regards to curriculum, the business school’s programmes were revised in 2013 to address the change in economy and business in Macau and China; this changed even more after the Covid-19 pandemic. As a result, the business school felt that the curriculum needed to evolve, and new faculty members were required. The pandemic gave the school experience in remote teaching. However, it highlighted the need to add more online content to the school’s existing courses and develop massive open online courses (MOOCs) and self-study modules to supplement classroom and in-person teaching.

Solutions From BGA

Business Graduates Association (BGA) recommended to The Faculty of Business, City University of Macau in China, define its priorities more effectively and develop a more accurate process to track its progress and impact in pre-defined areas of measurement.

BGA pointed out the need to enhance support for students, careers, and alumni relations. It also recommended that the school focus on selected international partnerships; advance the impact of its research; revive junior staff development; and differentiate itself more in terms of its educational offerings. Additionally, the BGA team aided the school to understand the need to prioritise sustainability and soft skills, and was encouraged to attend the BGA conferences for networking opportunities.

Accordingly, the school recognised and welcomed these recommendations as it provided added guidance to continue the path to transformation and growth.

The Impact

Working with BGA has helped the Faculty of Business, City University of Macau to enhance its work with stakeholders. The School is currently developing strategic partnerships with universities in Zhuhai, China, to share resources and organise joint projects.

At the 2019 AMBA & BGA Global Conference in Istanbul, the school initiated conversations with several other BGA member schools. As a result, in 2020, the Faculty of Business, City University of Macau, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Shanghai University and started an exchange programme for professors in 2021.

Additionally, the business school is currently developing a start-up competition for students from universities in China and Portuguese-speaking countries to promote internationalisation and engage strategic partners. The school reached out to AMBA/BGA member schools in China to join.