With the exponential increase in uncertainties, business education serves as an opportunity for future business leaders to be equipped with knowledge for coping with uncertain scenarios. In addition, business education can systematically improve the skills of individuals through the cultivation of innovative thinking. At the present time, several business schools are focusing on offering impactful business education that can help students thrive in the market in accordance with technological advancements.
To help students cope with rapid changes in business, Chulalongkorn Business School keeps innovating and welcoming new challenges. The school is driven by the strong aim to become a chief business school perceived as the flagship for life. Accordingly, the rigorous research, premier quality training, academically practical business wisdom, and digital sustainable mindset are combined to develop generations of students and executives and to serve the local and international business arenas.
Incepted to Educate Individuals
Officially founded in 1917, the Chulalongkorn University was Thailand’s first institution of higher learning. The University was established to educate individuals for significant roles in the private and public sectors. Today, it continues to strive for academic excellence in its teaching, research and service endeavors in all academic disciplines.
As part of the international academic community, Chulalongkorn University is taking a leading role in implementing educational collaboration to facilitate student learning. The University encourages faculty members and students at all levels to participate in international dialogues through educational exchanges.
Chulalongkorn Business School
Chulalongkorn Business School (CBS) of Chulalongkorn University was officially incepted in 1940. Since its founding, the Faculty of Commerce and Accountancy is internationally known and has become a leader in producing high-quality graduates that will be successful and contribute greatly to the Thai and international business communities.
Grounded in strong theoretical as well as practical knowledge, CBS is dedicated to producing individuals that excel in business decision-making as well as ethical behavior. The school has been accredited by the renowned international accreditation organizations: AACSB International in the US, and EQUIS, the European accreditation organization. The dual accreditations prove that the school maintains its high-quality teaching and research, impactful contributions to society, and excellent connections with the corporate world.
Plethora of Academic Programs
The CBS consists of five departments and five supporting functions. These are: Department of Accountancy, Department of Commerce, Department of Statistics, Department of Banking and Finance, and Department of Marketing. The school offers four undergraduate degree programs and 13 graduate degree programs. Of the graduate programs, some offer joint courses with partner universities abroad.
For instance, the CBS’s MBA Global Track has joined with the University of Victoria in Canada and the University of Glasgow in the UK for joint courses. The Master of Science in Brand and Marketing Management has joined with Cambridge Judge Business School.
Spearheaded by Visionary Leader
At the helm of CBS, Assoc. Prof. Wilert Puriwat, is the Dean and is currently a teaching fellow at the school. Being at the school’s forefront, Prof. Wilert Puriwat undertakes several vital roles and responsibilities. In his opinion, “The Dean’s role is to be the center pillar of CBS, connecting the current students, academic staff, academic partners, the business community, and other stakeholders.”
He further believes that the Dean’s role is to uphold CBS’s vision of becoming ‘a chief business school delivering life-changing experiences with innovative wisdom and a philanthropic spirit.’ To help attain this goal, Prof Wilert Puriwat strives to make the business school a leader in the APAC region.
Promoting Diversity on Campus
In order to promote diversity on campus, CBS has adjusted its admissions criteria to put more weight on the qualitative aspects of prospective students rather than the quantitative aspects. The school offers scholarships for non-Thai full-time applicants and students. It has become a preferred destination for incoming exchange students from partner universities around the world.
Incoming exchange students often join the BBA International Program, which in a typical year welcomes almost 100 students each semester. Once the exchange students arrive on campus, groups of Thai student volunteers organize activities for the exchange students. Some of the popular activities are, for example, a Thai cooking class, and cultural trips outside Bangkok. The trips serve as opportunities for sightseeing and fun but moreover present an opportunity to share and learn Thai culture. As a result, exchange students get memorable experiences and learn Thai culture while spending a semester at CBS.
Fostering Strong Corporate Connections
Besides focusing on the academic development of students, CBS also encourages students to participate in extra-curricular activities that suit their interests. For example, undergraduate students can take advantage of a wide range of groups and clubs such as sports clubs, music groups and bands, CSR community projects, academic and case competition clubs, and more.
The range of activities on offer enables students of CBS to build other skills and knowledge to complement their classroom learning. Many of these activities provide students with opportunities to extend the knowledge gained at CBS and apply it outside the classroom. Another strength of CBS is its corporate connections. The school’s strong corporate connections enable students to join company roadshows and recruitment events, parlaying these connections into internship positions or full-time jobs. In addition, CBS students can also participate in exchange programs with partner universities around the world.
Accomplishing through the Crisis
The COVID-19 pandemic posed a great challenge for the education sector, compelling institutes to undertake adaptive measures to surpass the challenges. Harboring a student-centric approach that has continued during the pandemic era, the teaching standards at CBS have remained constant to ensure the quality of the education offered to students. The school accomplished the jump from classroom teaching to digital teaching by adapting its courses to the online world. With a plethora of digital tools, such as immersive classrooms, learning at CBS is as interactive and fruitful as it was in the pre-pandemic era.
Plentiful Career Initiatives
CBS, like other business schools in the APAC region, is making constant efforts to align its degree programs with the latest industry requirements. To this end, the school has developed a number of career development initiatives. For instance, CBS has several international working experience programs backed by MOUs with international companies worldwide. The school has also signed MOUs with top universities across Thailand to provide its students with plentiful career opportunities.
In addition, CBS stresses the importance of global exposure within its communities. With the exponential growth of globalization, it is imperative that the students of CBS understand different cultures and how cultural forces play out in the business community. As business requires cooperation and collaboration, CBS offers exchange programs with 85 different partner schools. The scope of its exchange programs helps the school to meet its aim to expand the business knowledge of its students to a global scale.
In addition, CBS also has joint degree programs with Cambridge University and Aachen University—providing students access to some of the top international lecturers. The school’s MBA program includes a joint program with the University of Victoria in Australia.
Business studies requires opportunities for hands-on learning. A fully-equipped, top-quality infrastructure will help augment students’ learning experiences. For instance, CBS’s Financial Lab is equipped with trading simulations plus industry-standard financial data and analytical tools. It provides students access to the same tools that are used by financial professionals around the world.
Envisioning Upcoming Academic Sessions
Concerning the upcoming academic sessions, Prof. Wilert Puriwat opines that the academic sessions should be more than teaching theories. Rapid globalization has continued to blur the line between real world and academia. He further adds that class sessions should be more practical and timely, covering real life experiences, such a start-up culture, and the impact of technological changes. Moreover, orthodox academic sessions are rendered outdated in our increasingly interconnected world. “Sessions that integrate practice and theory can stand firm in our fast-moving world,” concludes Prof. Wilert Puriwat.
Read full magazine: 10 Most Recommended APAC B-Schools to watch in 2022
