Reshaping Business Education in a New Era

More than 100 years ago, Joseph Wharton founded the first business school in a university with faith that business leaders in the future would need a comprehensive and vibrant education. His ideas changed the way companies were led in the 20th century. Forty years ago, when the Chinese reform and opening-up policy had been promulgated around the nation, The senior Chinese scholars led our business education into golden age. Nowadays, with the rapid development in global science and technology, dramatic changes in international political and economic pattern, and deepening of China's reform and opening up, business educators in China and even around the world are all concerned about the ultimate question: Where is business education going? Today, we discuss the connotation and essence of Reshaping Business Education in a New Era, and look forward to the future direction of business education.

Reshaping Business Education Needs to Undertake New Mission

Business schools should face the future, taking the establishment of high moral values and the cultivation of people as the fundamental task of education, cultivating students with scientific and humanistic spirit, high responsibility. Business schools should make responsible research with feedback and take advantage of scientific researchto develop new business knowledge, so as to apply the knowledge to cultivate future business leaders and promote the rise of Chinese enterprises and the revitalization of economic society. Business schools should integrate knowledge with practice, and strive to respond to, participate in and deal with emerging problems on human and social, so as to contribute to people's happiness and social well-being.

Reshaping Business Education Needs to Expand New Logic

Business schools cannot meet the challenges of the times independently, neither let itself alone imposed in the isolated island of business. There is no unified standard and framework in Reshaping Business Education, and it should not be constrained or limited by traditional thinking. The progress and development of science and technology gives business education ability and redefines the direction and form of business education. We should constantly expand the law of business development with open, integrated, innovated and shared ideas, and create a new paradigm of business education with Chinese characteristic.

Reshaping Business Education Needs New Actions

New Business is the call of the times for the reform of business education, rather than the self-talk of business scholars. Business is subtle actions rather than empty slogans. New Business needs solid innovation and reform, promoting the landing of new concepts and ideas with firm actions, and further consolidates basic functions of talent cultivation, scientific research and social services. There is no experience to follow in the construction of new business, but responsibility will illuminate our way forward and give us endless motivation. We propose to strengthen mission-driven, break educational boundaries and integrate educational resources. Let’s work together to create an educational ecology, promote the healthy development of business education in China and contribute to social progress.

List of initiative units:

(Listed in no particular order)

School of Economics and Management, BeiHang University

School of Management and Economics, Beijing Institute of Technology

Business School, Beijing Normal University

Economics and Business Administration, Chongqing University

Faculty of Management and Economics, Dalian University of Technology

School of Management and Economics, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China

School of Business Administration, Northeast University

School of Economics and Management, Southeast University

School of Information Systems and Management, National University of Defense Technology

School of Management, Harbin Institute of Technology

Business School of Hunan University

School of Management, Huazhong University of Science and Technology

School of Management, Lanzhou University

Nanjing university business school

Business School of NanKai University

School of Management, Xiamen University

School of Economics, Shandong University

Antai College of Economics and Management, Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Business School, Tianjin University of Finance and Economics

College of Management and Economics, Tianjin University

School of Economics and Management, Tongji University

Economics and Management School of Wuhan University

The School of Management, Xi'an JiaoTong University

School of Management, Northwestern Polytechnical University

School of Management Engineering, Zhengzhou University

The School of Management, University of Science and Technology of China

College of Economics and Management, China Agricultural University

Renmin Business School

Sun Yat-sen Business School

By: College of Management and Economics

Editors: Qin Mian and Keith Harrington