Striving for global expansion
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Idalene Kesner, dean of the Kelley School of Business, speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul on Aug. 7. / Courtesy of Sungkyunkwan University
Kelley School of Business works together with other schools worldwide
By Chung Hyun-chae
Idalene Kesner, dean of the Kelley School of Business, said the school would continue to pursue global expansion by forging close partnerships with universities around the world.
“We are expanding partnerships all the time in Asia, which is our primary area, but also in Africa and even in Latin America,” Kesner told The Korea Times at Sungkyunkwan University on Aug. 7. “That will continue.”
Kesner frequently travels to Asia and other parts of the world to build such partnerships.
“This week I traveled to Hong Kong to meet the administrators of the City University of Hong Kong, where we have the longest exchange student program,” she said. “It is to make sure that we’re investing in our program. We don’t do it far away, but by directly going there.”
The Kelley School of Business recently signed a partnership with a school in Sao Paulo, Brazil, called Fundacao Getulio Vargas.
“We have a variety of different relationships with each country,” Kesner said. “Sometimes it’s just exchanging students, sometimes exchanging faculties and sometimes both.”
For example, the school currently runs a specialized MBA program in Lucknow, India, called the Indian Institute of Management, as well as a joint program with the Yangon Institute of Economics in Myanmar.
The dean said these relationships were to Kelley’s advantage.
“It is beneficial for our faculty to teach in other countries because they bring that knowledge back into the classroom,” she explained. “The world is really becoming interconnected and the Kelley School wants to be a strong participant all over the world.”
She stressed the close ties between Kelley and the Sungkyunkwan University Graduate School (SKK), where she still teaches.
“As a matter of fact, it’s the only regular teaching I still do. I don’t teach any other program that the Kelley School has,” the dean said, adding that none were quite like this very special relationship with SKK.
“I don’t feel a need for other partners in Korea,” she said. “I’m very proud of our relationship.”
She said she was also proud of the school’s E-MBA program, which allows students to earn dual degrees.
Asked why she chose Sungkyunkwan University as Kelley’s only partner in Korea, she said SKK’s faculty and curriculum were very strong.
“The curriculum is very connected to the environment here,” the dean said. “What makes our program very special is not only high-quality faculty from SKK, but also high-quality faculty from the Kelley School joining together.”
In the recent rankings for MBA programs in the United States, the Kelley School did well.
“We were the only school to have three No. 1 rankings _ student satisfaction, faculty quality and career services,” Kesner said. “And the grades on every other item were top grades.
“So when we think about what makes high rankings, our curriculum and the co-curricular activities that support that curriculum are very important to enhance the reputation of the school.”
When asked how she would advise readers who may be struggling with decisions about their education, the dean said, “I would hope that readers think about the value of education and graduate degrees today. The world is becoming very complex and dynamic.
“We usually use the word hypercompetitive. To be successful as business executives and leaders, it’s very important to have the latest business tools and the best training in making good business decisions,” she said.
“An E-MBA or MBA degree can help them develop their skills and their knowledge base to make sure that they are well positioned to be global leaders,” she added.