Caps on, gowns pressed, the business executives graduating with MBA degrees from the University of Maryland's prestigious Robert H. Smith School of Business on April 15 are well armed for success in the fast-moving global digital economy.

They are further distinguished as members of the first Shanghai Executive MBA (EMBA) class to graduate from the Smith School, ranked among the world's top business schools.

Business executives graduating with MBA degrees from the University of Maryland's prestigious Robert H. Smith School of Business in Spring, 2007

"I have no doubt that we will continue to hear great things about this group of graduates, particularly as China continues to rise as a major global economic power," said Howard Frank, dean of the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business.

"It's with great pleasure that I congratulate these executives on their accomplishment and welcome them to the Smith School's global alumni community."

The University of Maryland's Smith School, with its partner, the University of International Business and Economics (UIBE), has offered its Executive MBA and Executive Education programs in China since 2003. The EMBA program is offered in Shanghai and Beijing.

"We are very focused on providing a unique Executive MBA program that stresses the drivers of the modern digital economy namely, technology, entrepreneurship and globalization," said Frank.

"This focus provides our graduates with huge competitive advantages in terms of leading global and dynamic organizations - and makes the Smith School program stand out in the EMBA marketplace."

The Smith Executive MBA in China is a 54-credit, 18-month program in which students meet for classes approximately once each month for four consecutive days. All classes are taught in English and by the same Smith School faculty who teach the school's top-ranked US MBA program making it a perfect fit for both Chinese and international business executives seeking a world-class US business program in China.

"Leadership is about looking forward and anticipating what's next," said Chris Brown, a participant in the Smith School's Shanghai EMBA program.

"As I moved into general management, I was keen to round out my skills in finance, strategic planning and managing innovation. The structure of the China program, combined with the curriculum and reputation of the Smith School, offered the best fit for me," added Brown who is country managing director of Jaguar and Land Rover in China.

The Smith School's global presence gives its EMBA program participants the opportunity to take elective classes every six months at Smith's learning locations around the world, including its main campus in College Park, MD, located just outside Washington, DC.

One of the program's key strengths is the international flavor - and many participants are drawn to that aspect.

"All the students in our class are from varied backgrounds. We have people from different walks of life and definitely people from different career paths and experiences," said Chen Binglai, another participant in the Smith School's Shanghai EMBA program. "When you put everybody together with such an exceptional program, people tend to open up and start sharing. We build upon what we learn in class and really learn from each other," says Chen, quality manager at Whirlpool Corporation."

The campus of University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business in the United States

Upon graduation, participants in the Smith China EMBA program receive a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Maryland, as well as a formal certificate of program completion from UIBE.

The Smith School's strengths in both academics and research are reflected in its rankings and other accolades. The school is ranked No 5 in the world for research by the Financial Times, which also ranks the school's full-time MBA program No 17 in the US.

More information about the Smith School's China EMBA and other China Executive Education programs can be found at www.rhsmith-umd.cn.

(China Daily 04/14/2007 page5)