FEaTuRE Education
ing,” says Kelley, whose group travels all
over Greater China to conduct training
programs that last anywhere from two
days to two weeks. “As we all come from
supply chain backgrounds, we work to
tie the curriculum in with contemporary
BP’s and modern day examples that our
students can relate to.”
Encouraging Change
Supply chain management education
in China is certainly becoming a fore-
front issue for Chinese companies, but
education programs are still working to
catch up with demand. Full-time MA and
MBA programs like Jiao Tong are only
for the few willing to give up their job
to study, able to afford pricey tuition,
and based in the right city. While more
supply chain programs outside of Shang-
hai and Beijing are often cheaper, many
which gives them a year of seasoning on experience to improve SC knowledge;
are also underfunded and behind the
in an international environment,” says textbooks are new but fixed, we want to
curve. One manager says that when hir-
Moreton. “Technical skills are not what put in new information.”
ing students out of places like Guizhou
is in short supply in China, what we’re
or Shandong, students sometimes even
missing is people who work effectively Part-Time Solutions
have to be taught basic computer skills
with other people and cultures.” For those unable to devote themselves
like Microsoft Outlook. Corporate train-
For groups like CLFM at MIT-SJTU, to a full-time program, corporate educa-
ing, while more flexible, is often left to
students have an internationalized and tion with a supply chain focus also seems
HR departments. While there are some
multidisciplinary curriculum that draws to be a reasonable way to help employ-
who study on their own, much of this
from both the engi- ees learn new skills
education relies on company initiatives
neering and manage- that they missed at
and funding. However, Stößlein says that
ment schools. This
RMB
university or at work.
the Ministry of Education is encourag-
program also requires a Education pursued
ing and funding programs which move
six-month-long struc-
158,000
by professionals af-
away from rote learning and support
tured internship, which ter they have actually
multidisciplinary thinking and teaching;
often places students entered the working
an encouraging sign of support from the
with their corporate
Cost of
world can keep them
government.
partners such as Cisco,
CLFM Program
up to date on some of
According to Liu, the challenge for
Amazon, Apple and the latest issues and
companies going forward lies in produc-
Honeywell. Students
at Jiao Tong
can also help them
ing fewer people with regular skills and
are required to write
University
apply what they have
finding those who can offer real quality
their thesis based on learned directly to their
to the supply chain. “Our problem is that
the projects that they office, where it is most
we have too many people who are aver-
work on for that period needed. Groups like
age but are lacking ones who are excel-
of time. Based on feedback from their the executive education program at the
lent critical thinkers,” he says. “Industry
corporate partners, they are able to mold Supply Chain Institute involve not only
constantly blames universities and pro-
their curriculum to fit the industries a partnership between international and
fessors blame the industry, but everyone
most current and pressing problems, national universities (Fudan University
will have to do their own share for things
such as lean technology. “We are not a and Stanford University), but also in-
to change.”
traditional Chinese academic program volve a corporate partner (Cisco) who
because we are flexible and can meet the influences curriculum. “Companies that
Agree, disagree or have a different perspective?
requirements of partner companies and hire executive education groups like my
Help us continue the discussion, send us an email
students,” says Dong. “We want to know company say they are looking for the
editor@supplychain.cn and let us know what
how to do it in the real world with hands- ability to stimulate contemporary think- you think.
28 MARCH/APRIL 2010 www.supplychains.com
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