Partnership Agreement Signing Ceremony

A Partnership Agreement Signing Ceremony between Hang Seng Management College (HSMC) and Peter F. Drucker Academy of Hong Kong (DAHK) on ‘HSMC-Management as a Liberal Art Initiatives’ (MLAI) took place on 23 June 2017 (Friday) at the College Chamber of HSMC. The leading representatives of the parties included Professor Simon S.M. Ho, President of HSMC, and Dr. Darwin Chen, Board Chairman of DAHK.

Professor Simon Ho said at the ceremony, “Hang Seng Management College is excited to collaborate with Drucker Academy, with sponsorship fund from Shao Ming Lo Foundation, in enhancing our belief in the “liberal + professional” education model, as we aim at developing students to become well-rounded young professionals who are self-reflective, soulful, caring, and satisfying. To nurture our students to become successful future leaders, it is essential to equip them with critical thinking and inter-personal skills based on cross-disciplinary, cross-cultural, and value-based perspectives, which is the same philosophy as Peter Drucker’s MLA concept. HSMC is among the pioneers in the region to advocate management as a liberal art discipline.”.

Dr Darwin Chen also stressed, “At Drucker Academy, it’s our mission to elevate the productivity of knowledge workers, and the effectiveness of management within organization, leading them to take up social responsibility and contribute to the community, thus actualizing Drucker’s vision of a sustainable society. We appreciate the way HSMC develops their students and the culture they are building within the College. We truly believe that the collaboration with HSMC will enable us to expand and advocate Drucker’s philosophy in a wider and deeper scope.”

Objectives of the Collaboration

Leveraging on resources and network, the collaboration includes three objectives, namely research development, teaching of and advocacy of MLA, through which MLA will be elevated to reach new heights. The collaboration aims at enhancing communication and interaction among the scholars and practitioners who have inspirations for and insights into MLA as well as those who have interest to learn more about MLA.

Implementation Plan

A three-year plan (2017 to 2019) consisting of a series of seminars, conferences and research workshops will be arranged for ideas exchange and for relevant experts in the field and the industry. The HSMC-Management as a Liberal Art Initiatives will be led by the Department of Management and supported by the Executive Development Centre (EDC), both of HSMC.

A kick-off International Conference on MLAI will take place on 13 October 2017 (Friday) at HSMC on “Management as a Liberal Art – Revitalization and Localization”. Gurus and industry practitioners will speak.

To further advocate MLA, two new elective modules, namely Management as a Liberal Art: Back to the Human Side and Management as a Liberal Art: Towards a Better Society, will be offered by HSMC to their undergraduate students from the coming academic year onward and for business professionals in the near future.