Asia School of Business (ASB)

The Asia School of Business (ASB) is the newest MIT Sloan collaboration, supported by Bank Negara Malaysia, the Central Bank of Malaysia. The establishment of this world class graduate business school in Kuala Lumpur will offer both degree and non-degree programs to serve the needs of Malaysia, ASEAN, South Asia, China, and parts of the Middle-East and Africa. ASB’s mission is to be a global knowledge and learning center infused with regional expertise, insights and perspectives of Asian and emerging market economies.

The visionary for this initiative is Dr. Zeti Akhtar Aziz, who has served as Governor of Bank Negara Malaysia since May 2000. She will serve as co-chair of the ASB Board of Governors alongside Professor Richard Schmalensee, who served as Dean of the MIT Sloan School for nine years and on its faculty for over four decades. The other initial BoG members include MIT Sloan faculty members Professor David Schmittlein, Dean of the MIT Sloan School, Professor S.P. Kothari, Deputy Dean of the MIT Sloan School, and Professor Charles Fine, who will serve as Founding Dean and President of the Asia School of Business. The school will soon announce the addition of several regional corporate and institutional leaders who will also serve on the Board of Governors.

A committee of MIT Sloan faculty will advise the ASB on faculty and curriculum matters. Professor Joseph Weber will chair this committee as Faculty Director, with the support of Professors Roy Welsch, Pierre Azoulay, Jake Cohen and Bill Aulet.

Highlights of the ASB/MIT Sloan collaboration include:

(1) The ASB MBA curriculum includes:
(*) Core curriculum taught in Malaysia by MIT Sloan Faculty
(*) Multiple action learning projects in SE Asian institutions (one in collaboration with a team of students form MIT Sloan)
(*) One month of classes at MIT Sloan
(*) Two weeks of industry/institutional visits outside of SE Asia

(2) International Faculty Fellows – Faculty members from ASB will take up residence at MIT Sloan for a semester focused on teaching and research development under the guidance of an MIT Sloan faculty host.

(3) ASB administrative development – MIT Sloan senior administrators responsible for admissions and marketing activities, student services, and career development functions share their practices and experience with ASB counterparts.