About ASB and MIT SLOAN

In September 2016, the Asia School of Business will launch its inaugural full-time, two-year MBA program in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in collaboration with the MIT Sloan School of Management  

The ASB MBA program will deliver a curriculum deeply interconnected with management practices and integrated with the rigor and values embedded in the MIT Sloan School MBA program. The program will foster entrepreneurship, innovation, and hands-on-learning through an active interaction among industry, government, faculty and students. Students will have the chance to master state-of-the-art management tools and obtain deeper understanding of global business dynamics. At the same time, immense exposure to the fascinating reality and growing opportunities of Asia will be provided.

The visionary for this initiative is Dr. Zeti Akhtar Aziz, who has served as Governor of Bank Negara Malaysia since May 2000.  She will serve as co-chair of the ASB Board of Governors alongside Professor Richard Schmalensee, who served as Dean of the MIT Sloan School for nine years and on its faculty for over four decades.  The other initial BoG members include MIT Sloan faculty members Professor David Schmittlein, Dean of the MIT Sloan School, Professor S.P. Kothari, Deputy Dean of the MIT Sloan School, and Professor Charles Fine, who will serve as Founding Dean and President of the Asia School of Business. The school will soon announce the addition of several regional corporate and institutional leaders who will also serve on the Board of Governors.

A committee of MIT Sloan faculty will advise the ASB on faculty and curriculum matters. Professor Joseph Weber will chair this committee as Faculty Director, with the support of Professors Roy Welsch, Pierre Azoulay, Jake Cohen and Bill Aulet.

Highlights of the ASB/MIT Sloan collaboration include:

1. Inaugural class begins September 2016

2. The ASB MBA curriculum is comprised of:

• Core curriculum taught in Malaysia by MIT Sloan Faculty
• Multiple action learning projects in SE Asian institutions 
• One month of classes at MIT Sloan
• Two weeks of industry/institutional visits outside of SE Asia

3.  International Faculty Fellows – Faculty members from ASB will take up residence at MIT Sloan for a semester focused on teaching and research development under the guidance of an MIT Sloan faculty host.

4.  ASB administrative development – MIT Sloan senior administrators responsible for admissions and marketing activities, student services, and career development function will share their practices and experience with ASB counterparts.

Distinguished professors from MIT Sloan School as well as professors and practitioners who have profound expertise in Asian economies will deliver the program. A world class curriculum that combines analytical tools across the spectrum of management practices with in-depth case studies, collaborative projects, field trips, action learning projects, and discussions with industry and institutional leaders promises to grant a world class educational experience. ---

In designing the philosophy and curriculum of Asia School of Business, we invited world class experts, government and industry leaders, current MIT Sloan students and MIT Sloan faculty and staff, and high level members of Bank Negara Malaysia, including the Governor of Bank Negara, Dr. Zeti  to join us in a kick-off meeting in Kuala Lumpur. The group focused on analyzing, understanding and delivering a curriculum that is both rigorous and relevant to all stakeholders.