UCLA Anderson Celebrates 10th Anniversary of UCLA-NUS Global Executive MBA for Asia Pacific Program

One of the first dual-degree programs offered by a business school

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Aug 18, 2014, 12:00 ET

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 18, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- This summer marks the 10^th anniversary of the UCLA-NUS Global Executive MBA (GEMBA) for Asia Pacific program, a 15-month, dual-degree program in which graduates earn two MBAs, one from UCLA Anderson School of Management and another from the National University of Singapore Business School.

The program offers senior executives from around the world – 20 countries are represented in the Class of 2014 – a global perspective on leadership and management. Students meet for six, two-week sessions across Shanghai, Bangalore, New Delhi, Singapore and Los Angeles, where they are immersed in site visits, meetings with executives and projects with international companies. The program culminates with a Management Practicum, a global strategic consulting project.

On Aug. 23, 2014, the UCLA-NUS GEMBA program graduates its 10^th class comprised of 46 students, compared with 18 graduates in the inaugural Class of 2004. The program now boasts about 350 alumni worldwide, from more than 30 countries. At the time UCLA Anderson Prof. Christopher Tang founded the program, it was one of the first dual-degree programs offered by a business school, and the first degree program ever approved between a University of California school and a foreign university.

"I felt many MBA students were exposed to management tools, but still lacked an understanding of how global business is conducted – they lacked that on-the-ground interaction and experience," Tang, former dean of the NUS Business School (2002-04), says of what led him to establish the program. Tang's dedication to the program and his students is also reflected in having won five Teaching Excellence Awards since 2004 while teaching in the UCLA-NUS GEMBA program, as well as the UCLA Distinguished Teaching Award in 2012.

The UCLA-NUS GEMBA program is among the world's top executive MBA programs – most recently ranked No. 3 by The Economist and No. 5 by The Financial Times. In addition to being a dual-degree program (unlike joint-degree programs in which graduates earn only one diploma), the program offers executives the flexibility to meet in different locations and to communicate electronically in between sessions, as well as an evolving curriculum that reflects the changing needs of the marketplace.

"We oftentimes think very narrowly about international education," says John W. Mamer, senior associate dean and director of all EMBA programs at UCLA Anderson School of Management. "We're creating a unique learning environment in a global setting, rather than just sending U.S. students abroad."

The UCLA-NUS GEMBA program draws executives with at least 10 years work experience in industries that range from engineering and law, to medicine and music. Many of them are looking to expand their business in specific markets and enhance their careers, and some even launch new companies with fellow graduates.

David Leonard ('05), senior counsel for Chevron Global Downstream LLP, says he has kept in touch with key professors for thought leadership and taps his network of classmates who have become friends and colleagues. He also has acted as a mentor and advisor in the UCLA-NUS GEMBA program since graduating.

"Given the importance of developing and maintaining relationships in this type of business, I needed a program with a global focus that could also provide an expansive network," says Leonard. "The UCLA Anderson GEMBA program was perfect for me. It provided an Asian focus and a global education from two very good schools."

Many of the UCLA-NUS GEMBA faculty have also taught in the program since its inception, including award-winning UCLA Anderson Profs. Carla Hayn, Sanford Jacoby and Christopher Erickson. Lucy Allard Nelson, executive director of UCLA Anderson's Center for Global Management, graduated from the program in 2006.

UCLA-NUS alumni, faculty, students and staff celebrated the program's 10-year milestone with a private dinner on Friday, Aug. 15, 2014, at the Annenberg Beach House, followed by a global summit on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2014, at UCLA Anderson, and a closing celebration organized by GEMBA alumni Saturday evening at Yamashiro Hollywood. Commencement takes place at 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 23, 2014, on Alumni Plaza, featuring Craig Ehrlich, chairman and co-founder of Novare Technologies and board chair of UCLA Anderson's Center for Global Management, as commencement speaker.

For more details, visit the 10^th anniversary website.

About UCLA Anderson School of Management

UCLA Anderson School of Management is among the leading business schools in the world, with faculty members globally renowned for their teaching excellence and research in advancing management thinking. Located in Los Angeles, gateway to the growing economies of Latin America and Asia and a city that personifies innovation in a diverse range of endeavors, UCLA Anderson's MBA, Fully Employed MBA, Executive MBA, Global Executive MBA for Asia Pacific, Global Executive MBA for the Americas, Master of Financial Engineering, doctoral and executive education programs embody the school's Think In The Next ethos. Annually, some 1,800 students are trained to be global leaders seeking the business models and community solutions of tomorrow. Follow UCLA Anderson on Twitter at http://twitter.com/UCLAAnderson or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/uclaanderson.

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SOURCE UCLA Anderson School of Management