Wilkins, S., He, L., Zhu. L., & Elmoshnib, M. (2018). The resilience of the MBA in emerging economies: student motivations for wanting an MBA in China and the United Arab Emirates. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 40(3), 256-271. 1 The resilience of the MBA in emerging economies: student motivations for wanting an MBA in China and the United Arab Emirates Stephen Wilkins a* , Lan He b , Li Zhu c and Mohammad Elmoshnib d a Faculty of Business & Law, The British University in Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; b School of International Languages and Cultures, Yunnan University of Finance and Economics, Kunming, China; c School of Business, Yunnan University of Finance and Economics, Kunming, China; d Admission and Registration Department, University of Modern Sciences, Dubai, United Arab Emirates Abstract In recent years, domestic demand for MBAs has fallen in most major Western markets but has increased or remained stable in emerging economies such as China and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which are the two countries globally that host the largest numbers of international branch campuses. Thus, this research aimed to discover why students in China and the UAE still want an MBA. A survey questionnaire was completed by a total of 354 MBA students, at two universities in China and two universities in the UAE. Some of the results were surprising and unexpected. For example, recognition, prestige and networking – all key features in Chinese and Emirati societies – were found not to be key motivators for wanting an MBA. Instead, the desire to acquire knowledge and skills was the strongest motivator among respondents, accounting for 32.4 per cent of variance. This was followed by reasons associated with intrinsic benefits. The findings have implications for institutional strategy, curriculum design, programme delivery and the marketing of programmes. Keywords: management education; Master of Business Administration; student decision- making; careers; higher education marketing Introduction The Master of Business Administration (MBA) remains the flagship programme of most business schools. Throughout the second half of the twentieth century, MBA enrolments grew dramatically, particularly in North America, Western Europe and Australia. Universities responded by introducing a range of programmes, with various specialisms, modes of delivery, accreditations and entry requirements (Wilkins & Huisman, 2012). Tuition fees were increased to the extent that they were often much higher than those of specialist master degrees in the broader business management field. University managements welcomed the revenue that the MBA brought and many institutions treated the programme as a ‘cash cow’. The MBA also helped bring higher education institutions closer to businesses, which often resulted in research partnerships for innovation and demand for consultancy services. As a result, MBA programmes have become a prevalent component of business schools around the world (Blass & Weight, 2005). By the end of the twentieth century, the popularity of the MBA had spread to all corners of the globe, but particularly in Eastern and South Eastern Asia, as well as the Middle East (Datar et al., 2011; CAA, 2017; Li-Hua & Lu, 2014). The MBA was originally positioned as an elite qualification for senior managers, who would use the knowledge and skills they gained in the programme to enhance organisational (and national) performance (Kedia & Harveston, 2002; Wilkins & Huisman, 2012). Most programmes required participants to hold an undergraduate degree and to have several years of