CHINA: MBAs on the rise

Strong demand for management expertise in China spurred many universities to begin offering MBAs either independently or in joint ventures with overseas institutions, reports China Daily. The first batch of MBA schools was launched in 1991 in nine institutions, and 86 students were enrolled. The burning thirst for advancement among the ranks of young executives in the corporate sector has since fuelled MBA mania.

The number of MBA schools in China exceeded 60 by the end of the last century and the enrolment of MBA students reached 10,000 in 2000. MBA graduates' annual income surged. The average income of graduates from the class of 2003 in China's top 10 MBA schools grew between 64.3% and 116.2% in the three years to 2006.

Since then, the supply of MBAs seems to have caught up with the demand. Last year there were 96 domestic MBA schools with a combined enrolment of more than 20,000 students. New MBA graduates are finding it increasingly difficult to land ideal jobs, while corporations in China have become more discerning in recruiting.
Full report on the China Daily site