Journal of International Business Education 4: 103-118. © 2009 NeilsonJournals Publishing. Author Version Globalization of Business Schools: The Case of China Ilan Alon 1 Rollins College, USA John D. Van Fleet 2 Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China Abstract. In line with the private sector, the business schools of the world increasingly seek to develop their relationships with China, a region they perceive as not only a tremendous growth opportunity but also a critical focal point in the global business environment, and about which their students and faculty must develop expertise to remain competitive. The authors introduce the up- and down-side exposures of launching/operating either China-specific components of MBA programs or entire programs. They review five distinct avenues that business schools can employ to deepen their China-specific MBA relationships (outlining the advantages and disadvantages/risks in each), and they provide overall guidelines for increasing the potential for success – all based on a review of the literature, the authors’ own extensive China experiences, and select interviews with seasoned veterans of China’s degree-conferring business educational environment. (Note: This paper focuses on English-language business education, which the authors consider to be the relevant language for foreign business schools seeking China interaction. Business education in Chinese is a worthy subject, but one fit for another paper.) Keywords: China, business school, joint venture, MBA. 1. Introduction The entire world increasingly looks to China as the most intriguing business location of the early 21 st century. One of the most dramatic growth stories is the 1. Prof. Ilan Alon is the Cornell Chair of International Business and Director of Rollins China Center, Rollins College, Florida, and a Visiting Scholar at Harvard University. He has published 24 books (4 authored), and over 100 peer-reviewed articles, chapters, and trade articles. His four recent books on China include Chinese Culture, Organizational Behavior and International Business Management (Greenwood, 2003), Chinese Economic Transition and International Marketing Strategy (Greenwood, 2003), and Business and Management Education in China: Transition, Pedagogy and Training (World Scientific, 2005), The Globalization of Chinese Enterprises (Palgrave, 2008), and China Rules (Palgrave, 2009). 2. John D. Van Fleet serves as Supervisor, International Affairs, and adjunct faculty at the Antai College of Economics and Management, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and is currently supporting the school in its drive for AACSB accreditation. Resident for nine years each in Japan and China, Van Fleet is also a founding director of the China Direct Marketing Association, author of numerous articles for business publications and a regular speaker on business in China. He holds both undergraduate and MBA degrees from the University of Southern California. A licence has been granted to the author(s) to make printed copies of the paper for personal use only. Apart from these licenced copies, none of the material protected by the copyright notice can be reproduced or used in any form either electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any other information recording or retrieval system, without prior written permission from the owner(s) of the copyright. © NeilsonJournals Publishing 2009.