Pitt Business e-newsletter Issue 15, May 2009
Notes from the Dean
To succeed in a global economy, one must persist like a marathon runner. Thus, an interesting parallel occurred earlier this month when, after a six year hiatus, the 20th running of the Pittsburgh Marathon took place while I was in China investigating partnerships to enhance the school's global reach. In each case, going the distance and focusing on key objectives drives success. The Pittsburgh Marathon promoted the city and region and my marathon trip promoted the school and University.
During my trip, I met with officials from the Chinese Education Ministry and universities in Beijing, Wuhan, and Nanjing. It was great to see the Heinz Chapel Choir get a strong ovation from a large Chinese audience and to join Pitt Chancellor Mark Nordenberg at the University's first official alumni reception in Beijing. The school was showcased when Chancellor Nordenberg made a special presentation to Katz alumnus Frank Ning (MBA '85). Mr. Ning—the chairman of COFCO, one of China's most important conglomerates—provided great support for the alumni event and the trip. He highlighted the evening with an emotional speech describing the value of Pitt and Katz to his career.
One of the school's strategic initiatives emphasizes globalism. My trip reinforced the importance of developing global options in Asia, especially China. The Chinese economy has been on a tear in recent years and the government has invested huge amounts of its export income in local infrastructure. Roads, bridges, airports, buildings, and other facilities are being built and improved at an unprecedented rate.
Along with this economic growth, business schools and business education are booming. To some extent, the facility advantage that the business schools at Wuhan and Nanjing Universities enjoy over Katz and CBA is daunting. Both schools have built new facilities within the past few years. And the facilities are comparable to the best ones built by U.S. business schools. I'll use Nanjing as an example: Its new 26 story business school contains everything from a coffee shop and bookstore to classrooms, faculty and administrative offices, library and team room facilities to a hotel for executive MBA students. The building finishes are granite and marble along with rich hardwood floors in offices. Think JPMorgan Chase & Co.
While I believe that the quality of the Pitt Business faculty is a great advantage for us today, it is inevitable that the faculties at Wuhan and Nanjing (and other international universities, such as the China University of Political Science and Law) will improve rapidly in the coming years. In this hypercompetitive world, we must work even harder to sustain our success. We must continue to innovate, educate, and lead if we are to compete in this business school marathon. We cannot afford to slow down or rest and we must be ready to change strategy on a regular basis.
I believe that the efforts we have undertaken over the past two years provide strong training for this marathon. We have made significant improvements in our processes. We have created new programs that respond to market demand. We have generated additional revenue for investment in faculty, students, and programs. And we have begun a communications program aimed at improving the school's visibility and reputation. Although we still have a long distance to cover, we are better positioned to succeed in the race.
Just as the 2009 Pittsburgh Marathon was an overwhelming success, I anticipate that my China trip will provide many opportunities for the school through partnerships, internships, and job possibilities. I also believe that the trip marked the beginning of a sustained effort by the school to reach out globally to partners, alumni, prospective students, and friends. At a time when we must go the distance to be successful, Katz and CBA are well positioned. We continue to need your support and help-especially if you know of job opportunities for students who graduated in April 2009. Please let me know about job leads for students and alumni and what you think we can do to make you even prouder of the school. I look forward to your feedback and advice.
Best regards,
John
John T. Delaney
Dean
Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business
and College of Business Administration
