# The above courses are counted towards the major GPA of MIB students. Language Course Component of the Management of International Business Concentration: Students are expected to demonstrate a working knowledge and an appreciation of a language other than the mother tongue by satisfying any of the language requirements below: a) one Mandarin course (not applicable to students from Mainland China), or
b) one course on English language offered by ELT or English Department other than the required one, or
c) one language course other than English and Mandarin
Exemptions to this language course requirement can be given through demonstrating proficiency and will be considered on an individual basis.
Further explanations of the language course requirement
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on MIB (updated June, 2004)
Further questions: Kevin Au (tel: 2609 7802; email: kevin@baf.msmail.cuhk.edu.hk)
If you are not a BBA student of CUHK and wish to join the programme, please contact Office of Undergraduate Studies in Business (bba@cuhk.edu.hk or 852-2609-5863).
1. Why should I choose MIB? What profession can I get into if I choose MIB?
MIB is positioned to deal with the rapidly developing global world. You should consider MIB because of several reasons:
- Hong Kong will be the Asian headquarters of many local and foreign MNCs. No matter what industry you work, you will be serving not just Hong Kong but China and Asia as a whole. Gaining more knowledge in international business will facilitate an international career.
- Competition from youngsters in Asia is fierce. Schools in China, in particular, are training many good business leaders. Your edge as a student being educated in Hong Kong will only be maintained by being innovative, internationalized, and flexible enough to blend together multiple perspectives.
- Globalization is going in all direction, not just business. That means multicultural worldview and becoming a world citizen. MIB as designed will prepare you to take on globalization as it spreads.
- Research achievement in the field of international business
2. How many students enroll in MIB? Why students join MIB?
In the 2003/04 academic year, we have 89 (Year 3 and Year 2) students. In 04/05, there will be 64 Year 3 students and 20 Year 2 students concentrating MIB. Our impression is that many students join MIB because they like to expose themselves to multi-cultural experience and international challenge. Interest is more than practical concern. After all, international business does not connote a clear vocational direction like other disciplines do.
3. I was told that international business concentration is incoherent in content and not unique compared to other concentrations. Students also do not each know that well. Are these true?
MIB is designed to be multi-disciplinary, innovative, and multicultural, not functionally distinctive. The course structure entails you to develop multiple perspectives from different cultural points of view. New courses, including Global Entrepreneurship (02/03) and Special Topics in Management: Advanced Analysis of International Business (offered as MGT 4110 in 03/04), keep you abreast with the latest business and technology ideas. European Business will also be offered in 04/05, first time in ten years under graduates' recommendation.
It is somewhat true that students of international business might not be as close as other concentrations in the past. But students in MIB will see this improved because we have Global Entrepreneurship as a recommended course in which field trips will be organized. Students in 02/03 went to visit the Science Park, and those in 03/04 went to visit factories in the Pearl River Delta in a field trip, for example. The Department also organized a tea party at the beginning of the term for students to know each other and sessions for students to take graduation photos together. Besides, a faculty committee will motivate and support volunteered students to organize more activities, such as parties and workshops. The committee will also listen to feedback from students, give advise to students concerning studies and career, and produce a directory to showcase student achievements, such as earning the PACIBER Diploma (Pacific Asian Consortium for International Business Education and Research).
4. Are there any courses required among the core courses?
There is no required course, but we recommend you to take Global Entrepreneurship. This course is designed to open students to the global wave of new ventures. These ventures are not always hi-tech but usually intensive in knowledge and global in market focus. Students will learn the concept of entrepreneurship, policies and factors conducive to new venture creation, writing of business plan, and the skills to manage a new venture. Cases of ventures around the globe and visits to local new ventures will be used to illustrate concepts and help students gain insight into new venture creation process. Students will write, under close direction of the instructor, a business plan good enough for inviting investment as a requirement of the course. We hope that this course could direct students to become innovative and entrepreneurial (see the course outline). After two years of offering, it is now a highly sought-after but challenging course. Half of the students are local and the other exchange. The instructor, Denis Wang, hailed last year's class as one of the best in recent years.
For students who look for challenge, we recommend Special Topics in Management: Advanced Analysis of International Business (offered as MGT 4110 in 03/04). Many students shy away from "Advanced" courses because of GPA concern. However, people can learn better when put under pressure and strive only after being challenged. We believe MIB students want to be elite and differentiate themselves from others. You shall take this course if you find interesting tracing the theory behind IB knowledge, learning the latest management ideas from leading journals (e.g., Harvard Business Review), and debating with classmates your views regarding real-life business cases. Students must prepare to learn independently and proactively and analyze complicated but intriguing business cases almost every week before classes. The 3 credits carried in this course is meant to be earned!! Two graduates told the instructor, Kevin Au, that they had never experienced the high quality of projects and thought-provoking experience in this class and were glad that they had chosen this course.
5. Will management offer enough interesting core courses? Why European Business and Japanese Business are not offered?
The Management Department will offer five courses, Global Enterprise Management, China Business, Asian Business, Global Entrepreneurship, and Advanced Analysis of International Business in the 2003/04 academic year. Due to increasing enrollment we shall continue to offer at least four courses every year, switching the courses as students demand. Unfortunately, not everybody can be satisfied with limited resources. According to the data from OUSB, fewer than 10 students are interested to enrol in these two courses. While course offering should reflect academic vigor, resources consideration gets in the way.
5. Given limited vacancies, could I register in business courses offered by other departments in the Business Faculty?
We know that students found it difficult to enroll in these courses in the past. Limited resources mean that not everybody can be satisfied. However, we have made an effort to improve the situation. Under our request, DSE will offer a new course Global e-Business and Logistics. Students will find this course exciting, especially when Hong Kong will rely on e-commerce and logistics in the future. Furthermore, students would find it easier to enroll in marketing and finance courses because two sessions of International Finance, and Multinational Marketing will be offered next year although department heads will make the final decision based on student numbers and availability of instructors. Besides, students can also take China Finance and China Marketing which are not electives before. Since 3rd year students choose business courses based on random ordering and nothing else, you are in the same position as other concentration students when choosing these courses.
6. Given limited resources, could I register in courses offered by departments outside the business faculty? Will there be time clashes? Cancellation of courses? Quota being filled up?
We have anticipated such a difficulty since it is impossible for the Registrar's Office to coordinate times for so many departments. It is also possible that the courses can be cancelled or filled up by major students. To get around this, we have picked courses that are large in size and being offered in two different semesters in the same department, e.g., International Politics and Globalization and Politics offered by GPA Department. We have also gotten promise from respective department heads that these courses are almost definitely to be offered (student numbers and other university rules govern the final decision). Lastly, since you are 3rd year student when you choose these courses, you have the same priority as other major students to enroll in these courses. Therefore, it is almost certain that you can take your favorable courses. Starting from 2003/04, students shall enroll in these courses through the internet, as we will inform the Registrar's Office about making these outside courses become MIB core courses.
7. Why is there a language requirement?
Language is for communication and storage of knowledge, norms and culture. We do not think that students can master a language by taking just one course. We believe that learning a language can open students to multiple perspectives, some customs and history of other countries, and assumptions behind different cultural groups. Besides, knowing a language, even just working knowledge, is an advantage for people doing international business. You can fulfill this requirement by taking Mandarin, English, and European language courses (including summer courses), etc.
8. Taking a Mandarin course is not equivalent to a course on another language in terms of workload. Is this right?
The Faculty designates that no more than six courses can be required by a concentration. We would like to ask students to take two Mandarin courses but this violates the rule. Nonetheless, rules aside, it does not mean that students should stop taking more than one Mandarin course or avoid other language courses. They should study whatever language at the level they are interested in. We encourage students to do so.
9. What do you mean by "mother tongue" in the language requirement?
The rationale of language requirement (see answer to question 7) renders students to learn a language they have not intensively used before. If we use this as a principle, then Hong Kong students cannot take a Cantonese course to fulfill the requirement. Similarly, students from Mainland China who studied in high school there cannot use a Mandarin course for this purpose because they have used this language as it is their mother tongue. In any case, we are happy to discuss with students who have questions on this requirement. It is not set up as a hurdle to trouble students but as an encouragement for students to strengthen their language skills and broaden their visions.
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