從許多方面來看,位于格拉斯哥的斯特拉思克萊德大學(xué)商學(xué)院(University of Strathclyde Business School)的院長蘇珊•哈特(Susan Hart)都是一位令人驚訝的商學(xué)院院長。無可否認,她是為數(shù)不多的成功升任一家商學(xué)院院長的女性之一,但在追求學(xué)術(shù)成就的同時,她也問心無愧地講求實際。
“We have a very clear policy that everything has to link with the world of practice,” says theebullient marketing professor, now six years a dean. “If you are not connecting your studentsto the world of practice, you are doing something wrong.”
“我們有一項很明確的政策,就是一切都必須與現(xiàn)實世界相掛鉤,”這位熱情洋溢的市場營銷教授說。她現(xiàn)在已當(dāng)了6年院長。她說:“如果你不讓學(xué)生跟現(xiàn)實世界相聯(lián)系,你就錯了。”
The approach is perhaps unsurprising for a university in Scotland’s industrial heartland thathas built its reputation on strengths in technology as well as entrepreneurship, and which alsoespouses the notion of “useful learning”.
斯特拉思克萊德大學(xué)采取這一策略或許并不出奇——它所在的格拉斯哥市是蘇格蘭的工業(yè)中心、憑借在科技和創(chuàng)業(yè)方面的實力創(chuàng)下盛名,該大學(xué)也支持“有用學(xué)習(xí)”的觀念。
In practical terms this means Prof Hart spends time courting the support of a cadre of businessexecutives to be academic fellows at the school. “We can’t make it the way business wants itto be unless they come and help us,” she reasons.
從現(xiàn)實角度而言,這意味著哈特教授會花費時間爭取公司高管的支持,讓他們成為商學(xué)院的研究人員。“如果不請他們過來幫我們,我們就無法把學(xué)校辦成企業(yè)想要的樣子,”她解釋道。
Given that Prof Hart’s education and career have taken place almost entirely within the Scottishhigher education system, she has an additional role that is perhaps unusual too – she isleader of international activities for the whole of Strathclyde University.
鑒于哈特教授的教育經(jīng)歷和職業(yè)生涯幾乎完全局限在蘇格蘭高等教育體系內(nèi),她的另外一個角色可能也是非同尋常的——她是斯特拉思克萊德大學(xué)所有國際活動的負責(zé)人。
However, even a rudimentary perusal of the business school’s teaching and research showswhy. To begin with, the school runs programmes in nine countries. But more significantly,everything taught there is designed around an international agenda. This is as much anecessity for those entrepreneurs setting up their own businesses in Scotland’s largest city asis it for those who join the corporate world, says the garrulous dean.
然而,粗略瀏覽該商學(xué)院的教學(xué)和研究情況,就能看出其中原因。首先,該商學(xué)院在9個國家開展業(yè)務(wù)。但更引人注目的是,商學(xué)院的所有授課內(nèi)容都是圍繞著一項國際議程設(shè)計的。這位健談的院長表示,這么做對那些投身公司界的人、以及對那些在蘇格蘭大城市自行創(chuàng)業(yè)的人來說,都是同等必要的。
“We have students who have gone on to create small businesses, but the market is global,especially if the company is selling luxury and niche products,” she says. “If you’re a fashiondesigner, where do your fabrics come from? Even local companies will have influences anddependencies internationally.”
“我們的一些學(xué)生已向前一步,創(chuàng)立了小型企業(yè),但市場是全球性的,尤其是如果他們的公司出售奢侈品或小眾產(chǎn)品的話。”她說,“如果你是一名時尚設(shè)計師,你的布料從哪里來?即便是本地公司都會產(chǎn)生國際影響,并對國際市場產(chǎn)生依賴。”
When quizzed about what she would nominate as the school’s flagship programme, the deanis pensive and equivocal. Certainly the school has a strong undergraduate programme, shesays, and it is increasingly successful in introducing specialised master’s degrees – Strathclydewill launch a global energy management degree in Abu Dhabi in 2015, and an MSc in leadershipin sustainable cities next year as well.
當(dāng)被追問她認為學(xué)院的旗艦項目是什么時,這位院長沉思了一會兒,然后做出了模棱兩可的回答。她表示,學(xué)院擁有實力很強的本科教育項目,推出的專業(yè)碩士學(xué)位教育項目也越來越成功——斯特拉思克萊德商學(xué)院將于2015年在阿布扎比(Abu Dhabi)推出一項全球能源管理學(xué)位教育項目,下一年還將推出一項可持續(xù)城市領(lǐng)導(dǎo)力方面的理科碩士(MS)項目。
The MBA has also been revamped and has changed dramatically in the past four years,according to the dean. General management has been updated with a technology focus and thecareers office has moved up a gear.
這位院長稱,學(xué)院在過去4年里也對MBA項目進行了大刀闊斧的調(diào)整與改革。學(xué)院按照以科技為重心的原則對整個管理進行了改進,就業(yè)辦公室的工作也上了一個臺階。
But the biggest change has been the increased flexibility that has enabled MBA students tostudy in any of the nine countries where the school operates. The school is particularly strongin the Middle East, teaching in Bahrain, Oman, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, but also has facilities inGreece, Switzerland, Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia.
但最大變化是增加了靈活性,使MBA學(xué)生可以在該學(xué)院分布于九個國家的任何一個授課點參加學(xué)習(xí)。該學(xué)院在中東地區(qū)實力尤為強大——授課地點有巴林、阿曼、迪拜和阿布扎比,不過它也在希臘、瑞士、新加坡、香港和馬來西亞授課。
“A part-time student in Glasgow can study a module in any of the other centres,” says Prof Hart– for example, learning about logistics in Dubai or Singapore. Online learning is also beingintroduced on all campuses.
“格拉斯哥的非全日制學(xué)生,可以參與其他任何一個授課點的課程學(xué)習(xí),”哈特教授說,比如學(xué)習(xí)迪拜或新加坡的物流課程。所有分校園也都在引入在線授課方式。
This increased flexibility has been one of the hallmarks of Prof Hart’s tenure as dean, but sheis swift to point out that an increased focus on research has also been central to herdevelopment of the school. Indeed, she was appointed dean in 2008 following a very successfulstint as vice-dean for research at the business school. She insists, though, that it is academicresearch with a practical application.
一直以來,這種靈活性的提高已成為哈特教授擔(dān)任院長的特色之一,但她迅速指出,學(xué)術(shù)研究也是她在學(xué)院發(fā)展方面的工作重點。事實上,她在2008年被任命為院長,正是因為此前她在擔(dān)任商學(xué)院負責(zé)研究的副院長時成績斐然。不過,她堅稱,她所注重的學(xué)術(shù)研究是結(jié)合實際應(yīng)用的學(xué)術(shù)研究。