The MBA program of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology's School of Business and Management (HKUST Business School) has been ranked No.1 in Asia and No.8 in the world by the Financial Times. It marks the program's fourth consecutive year in the top ten of the chart, and the three-year average rank of the program stays at No.8.

The newly released Financial Times Global MBA 2013 Rankings highlighted the rich international dimension of the HKUST MBA program, rating the program No.4 for international course experience. The value for money rank of the program has moved up 18 spots to No.12. The HKUST Business School has again earned the distinction for its research by holding the 1st place in Asia and 25th in the world.

The rankings tracked the career progress of the 2009 graduating class three years after they attained the MBA qualification. Despite the challenging economic environment, graduates of the HKUST MBA programs were able to enhance their employability and move up the career ladder. Their average salary, three years after graduation, reached USD132,685(about HKD1,034,943) per annum, an increase of 153% compared with their average pre-MBA salary. The program came 4th in the percentage increase in salary among the 100 MBA programs surveyed.

"We at HKUST strive to position ourselves at the forefront of education excellence and innovation. International recognitions encourage us to continue taking bold steps in advancing knowledge and nurturing talents," said Prof Tony F Chan, President of HKUST. "HKUST's goal is not to achieve high rankings. While rankings can be useful as an indicator of our performance and areas in which we can improve, we are pleased that the distinguished quality of our education is constantly recognized."

Professor Leonard Cheng, Dean of HKUST Business School, said, "To be consistently ranked among the top 10 MBA programs in the world reaffirms HKUST as a global leader in business education. It not only illustrates the high caliber of our students, but also attests to the uncompromising efforts of our faculty and staff, as well as their capability to deliver world-class education."

Professor Albert Ha, Interim Associate Dean of Master's Programs and Academic Director of MBA Programs at HKUST, attributed the program's remarkable achievements to the motivating learning experience that it offers, and its commitment to continuous improvement and innovation.

"In addition to the high quality contents delivered by world-class faculty, our students benefit from the interaction with their talented peers from around the world, international and experiential exposure, as well as a wide range of enrichment activities. The rich and stimulating learning experience which provokes new thinking and builds resilience to change is what makes the program stand out," he said.

"Always seeking continuous improvement, we regularly review our curriculum and keep bringing in new contents and new learning experiences which place our students at the cutting-edge of management knowledge and skills, gearing them up for this rapidly evolving world."

With a strong focus on leadership, teamwork and internationalization, the program continues to innovate and is developing various enrichment initiatives to further strengthen these strategic foci. New initiatives include a comprehensive leadership development program to enhance students' leadership skills, and study tours to emerging markets. The program is also working with new technology to enhance the learning experience. Since 2011, the program has started giving each student of the full-time program a tablet computer through which they can access course materials and other resources. Recently a tablet computer app has been launched to provide students with a one-stop platform for the program's information and services.

The full table of Financial Times Global MBA rankings 2013 can be viewed at: http://rankings.ft.com/businessschoolrankings/global-mba-ranking-2013.

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