A national youth entrepreneurial leadership forum was held in 2015 at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Top local business schools are adjusting their education to encouraging people to start their own businesses (Photo/Shanghai Daily)
Top business schools at local universities in Shanghai are adjusting their entrepreneurial education for MBA students in response to government policy supports encouraging people to start their own businesses.
At Antai College of Economics and Management at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, survey results show the number of students considering establishing their own businesses jumping from 45 percent in 2011 to 74 percent.
To support current and would-be student entrepreneurs the college started cooperation with the city's Technology Entrepreneurship Foundation for Graduates in 2011. This partnership saw the creation of a branch foundation with a 10 million yuan ($1.5 million) contribution from each side for MBA students and graduates. So far, the foundation has invested in 45 programs, according to Dong Zhengying, an associate professor and innovation program director at the college.
At the School of Management at Fudan University, more MBA students are talking about business startups, said Sun Jinyun, an assistant professor of entrepreneurship at the school.
The school began offering courses on innovation and business startups as one of its six optional curriculum modules for MBA students two years ago.
"Traditional MBA education actually produces professional managers who are rigorous about targets and averse to uncertainty," said Sun. "But starting up a new company involves all kinds of uncertainties.
"The courses were launched not to encourage all students to establish companies, but to help those interested in doing so to realize whether it's suitable for them and learn how to go forward. This includes finding business opportunities, financing and controlling risk. Though the government has introduced many favorable policies, this does not mean everybody is capable of starting up a business."
The Antai College launched a compulsory course on the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurial management in 2007, inviting entrepreneurs to give lectures to students and organizing group discussions of case studies and classmates' business projects.
This year, the course was made optional and more entrepreneurial management courses were added in an effort to draw more students with a real interest in startups.
"The government and society have already done too much to create a mania around startups, so we need to cool the heat as an educational institute," said Dong. "We try our best to let students know what creating a startup really means and what they will face."
Both Dong and Sun said MBA students have obvious advantages when it comes to starting up businesses compared with university students without prior work experience.
"They have more access to business opportunities because they've got their own jobs and classmates who are also mature professionals," explained Sun. "When they decide to start a business project, they usually realize results faster as they have more experience and greater access to investment and clients."
Han Yunyun used to work at Shanda Group, one of China's largest online game and literature companies. She entered the Fudan Management School to advance her career.
"I was really glad to see so many people who are seeking change like myself," she said. "They are from different industries and bring many creative ideas to classroom discussions and after-class talks."
