February 26, 2008. Shanghai campus. - The current global shifts in economic and political power, and the implications for those who lead, were among the issues explored today by UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband during a CEIBS forum entitled "Leadership and Globalization - The Role of Government and Business".

The Foreign Secretary identified the three major shits in the balance of power as: from West to East; from the national to the international level, where sovereignty is shared to tackle common problems; and the shift from governments to communities or corporations. As a result of this paradigm, he said, leadership has to be viewed within the context of harmonious collaboration among all the players involved. “If you want to solve a problem, you have to make sure the government, private sector and individuals are working together in a harmonious way,” he said.

The challenge, Foreign Secretary Miliband stressed, is for current and future business leaders across the globe to work together to overcome the challenges of globalisation - inequality, insecurity and un-sustainability (both environmental and political) - while maximizing the opportunities it offers.

The Foreign Secretary was speaking before an audience of about 100, made up of local and international media, CEIBS students and faculty.

During his visit to the CEIBS Shanghai campus, Foreign Secretary Miliband was accompanied by his wife Louise, British Ambassador to China Sir William Ehrman, British Consul General for Shanghai Ms. Carma Elliot, and members of the British media. The UK delegation was welcomed, on arrival, by CEIBS President Zhu Xiaoming, Dean Rolf D. Cremer and Vice President and Co-Dean Zhang Weijiong. This was the UK Foreign Secretary’s first visit to CEIBS. “It’s a privilege to be here at a business school with a very, very good reputation all over Europe for the quality of not only its professors but also its students,” he said.

In addition to Foreign Secretary Miliband, panellists of today’s thought-provoking and timely discussion included CEIBS Distinguished Professor of Global Responsible Leadership Henri-Claude de Bettignies, and CEIBS Professor of Management William Mobley.

Prof. de Bettignies explored the issue of how globalization has shaped the behaviour of China’s government and business leaders. “Government, well aware of the many negative consequences of the rapid growth, is demonstrating its will to implement a responsible leadership strategy to cope with the multiple challenges faced by the country,” he said. “Business leaders are increasingly exposed to Corporate Social Responsibility language (and debates) and react very differently depending upon the nature and size of their business. Examples of alternative ways to cope with the pressure for CSR will make explicit how “responsible leadership” is slowly making progress in China.”

Drawing on the relevant research literature and his extensive executive leadership coaching experience, Dr. Mobley focused on the causes and consequences of leader derailment in international settings. The inability to cope with the speed of change, he said, was one major factor that made many leaders fail.

Dean Cremer was the moderator during the one-hour forum, which also gave some CEIBS students an opportunity to participate in an interactive discussion with the UK Foreign Secretary and the other panellists. CEIBS students raised a wide range of questions - from finance and CSR to politics. They broadened the discussion to incorporate issues such as the role of NGOs, how to strike the balance between economic progress and environmental protection, the growing global popularity of sovereign wealth funds, and the increasing global importance of India and China.

In responding, Foreign Secretary Miliband stressed the importance of NGOs as a way to provide a voice for what may otherwise be fractured communities. He also highlighted the role developed countries have to play in helping to encourage developing countries to lean towards low-carbon versus high-carbon development by reducing their own carbon emission levels and ensuring that aid programmes are ‘green’.

The CEIBS visit was Foreign Secretary Miliband’s last stop in Shanghai. During his visit to the city, he also viewed a large-scale model of Shanghai in SUPEC, which illustrates the UK’s engagement with Shanghai on sustainable development projects such as UK@Expo and the Dongtan EcoCity. The Foreign Secretary also attended a reception, hosted by British Consul General Elliot, for Chevening alumni from East China. Mr. Miliband took that opportunity to discuss UK priorities for China and the opportunities presented by Shanghai’s own priorities.

Links between CEIBS and the UK

CEIBS has long provided a link between China and the UK, forged, for example, through student and faculty Exchanges with London Business School (LBS), Manchester Business School and the University of Warwick.  Lloyd's recently established a chair in Safety Management and BAT fund a Chair in Marketing. BP China is a CEIBS Development Fund Partner.

In addition, The City of London has been developing close relations with CEIBS for a number of years. In early 2007, CEIBS established the Lujiazui International Financial Research Centre -- with the support of the Pudong Government -- in the heart of Shanghai’s Lujiazui financial district. Lord Mayor John Stuttard was appointed an Honorary Board Member of the Centre in October 2007 (transferable to future Lord Mayors). The Centre is expected to become a source of innovation and a think tank for the development of Shanghai’s (and China’s) financial services sector. It will also offer consulting and training to local government financial institutions and firms.

About CEIBS

Jointly founded by the Chinese Government and the European Commission in 1994, CEIBS offers MBA (full time, 18 months), EMBA (part time) and a wide variety of Executive Education programmes. For five consecutive years, the Financial Times has ranked CEIBS among the top 6 world-wide Business Schools in terms of the international diversity of its faculty. This year there are about 200 MBA students (one third international; two-thirds Chinese). The programme also required all students to learn Chinese.

As the leading international business school in Asia, CEIBS is the only Asia-based business school that has achieved top-tier global rankings for its MBA, EMBA and Executive Education programmes. It is also the only business school in Mainland China that has earned an internationally recognised EQUIS accreditation. In the 2008 FT rankings, CEIBS was #1 in Asia and #11 worldwide. CEIBS has held the top-ranked seat in Asia continuously since 2004 (five years running) and has been ranked 11th worldwide since 2007 (two years in a row.) CEIBS was also 9th in Forbes' 2007 Top Non-US b-schools Rankings.

For more information, contact:
Laurie Underwood, CEIBS External Communications Director at lunderwood@ceibs.edu

Charmaine N. Clarke, CEIBS Marcom Editorial Associate, at ccharmaine@ceibs.edu