For new entrants it is already very late

For the business schools around the world, the fact China is Eldorado. The hexagon schools did not escape the rule: a good dozen of them are today present in this country for ad hoc partnerships, limited to a handful of programs. This is not the case of EM Lyon, which displays a genuine strategy of development in the former empire of the Middle, and it multiplies efforts.

Two reasons for this strategy. "I am convinced that China will disrupt the major balances economic and strategic global, and edit modes of management, explains Patrick Molle, Director General of EM Lyon.". Ten to fifteen years from now, it will be able to develop groups of significant size, able to start the conquest of key world markets. For the moment, the Chinese simply imitate what works. Tomorrow, they will invent their own managerial models. Today, there is the rise of industrial nationalism, supported by the central Government. We integrate all of these changes in our teachings. "To do this, EM Lyon envisages, in the medium term to send all its faculty in China for stays of the order of a quarter.

A second, more cyclical: "Not miss what French schools were missed in the United States or in Eastern Europe." It must be present in China as soon as possible, warns Patrick Molle. For new entrants, it is already very late.

Also the Group undertook to permanently locate in Shanghai, and make his beachhead for the whole of Northeast Asia, with online focus, in addition to China, the Korea and the Japan. School there has created two years ago its network of graduates and partners ("EM Lyon China Club", with approximately 600 members), has installed a permanent team place, and multiplies the cooperation programmes. It concluded an agreement with Fudan University, on a master in finance, an Executive MBA, dedicated to the activities of services (including insurance) and a faculty exchange program.

A curriculum tri continent. "

Still in Shanghai, school has also close ties with the Jiao Tong University that publishes this world ranking of universities fact both ink. "Jiao Tong several advantages in our eyes, said the Director-General, it put on European accreditation Equis, she recruited European teachers, and offers many lessons in English. Several partnership projects are under study with Jiao Tong.

This is not everything. EM Lyon is also involved in various programs in China. The Group offers, for five years, a "Advanced Management Program (AMP), intended for Chinese executives operating for Western firms or, conversely, Europeans working with China. Since this year, participants in the Executive MBA of CPA Lyon can also perform a discovery of China trip, followed by a period of working in a Chinese firm, all with the drafting of a memory. The first promotion of this program took place in November. Finally, the group is partner of the University Lyon-III and Zhongshan University for a francophone MBA at Canton, in international trade. Launched in 1998, this MBA was elected "best di-"

"foreign plôme in China from the North".

Today, the Group did not intend to rest there, and seeks to extend its action in China. Contacts are underway with the business school of the University of Hangzhou, southwest of Shanghai, one of the fastest growing regions. A memorandum of understanding for a "Master in Global Entrepreneurship" was signed with the local University and Babson College, the world reference, for a "tri-continent" program: participants would spend four months in Lyon, and four in the United States and four in China. The curriculum should be a first "Gallop to test" in September for an official start to the 2008 re-entry.

Always in Hangzhou, the school could accompany the approximation between Seb, the specialist in the small electrical household appliances, and his Chinese counterpart, the Group Supor. In addition, EM Lyon opened a European research centre to work on the European and Chinese entrepreneurial models. A "think tank" global entrepreneurship, allowing to share good practice, will be held next November in Lyon, then in 2008 in China.

And especially, EM Lyon plans to soon open its own campus in Shanghai. Several tracks are under study. This campus would consolidate much of the activities of the school, and to launch new. Most importantly, it would take a major step: move all students of his initial studies at least a quarter in China. "Anyway, said Patrick Molle, we have before us a programme of at least five years of work in this country."