On the 33rd floor of Lee Garden One in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, far from the red-brick buildings of northern England, the University of Manchester has created a space that reflects the changing nature of global education. 

Established in 1992, The University of Manchester East Asia Centre is the University’s oldest overseas base and remains central to its global strategy. It operates across three fronts: recruiting students from across East Asia, delivering postgraduate programmes, and connecting a vast alumni network that spans thousands of professionals in the region. 

It is also one of four global teaching locations, alongside Shanghai, Dubai and Singapore, designed to extend the University’s reach beyond the UK without losing academic depth.

More than a satellite campus, the Centre plays a strategic role in linking the University to one of the world’s most dynamic regions. “The East Asia Centre is not just a branch office, it’s more like an intelligent hub,” says Olivia Chan, Director of East Asia.

Learning without borders

At the East Asia Centre, mid-career professionals fly in from across the region, balancing careers, families and ambition as they move between work and study.

This model reflects a broader shift in higher education. Rather than requiring students to relocate entirely, the University is bringing programmes to where professionals already are, embedding learning into the rhythm of working life.

“Our students are typically mid- to senior-level professionals. They are corporate managers and entrepreneurs, usually between 35 and 45,” Chan explains. “Here in Hong Kong, we recruit from across East Asia, from Japan and South Korea to Taiwan, Macau, Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area.”

Over time, this has built a sizable and deeply engaged community. With more than 7,000 alumni in the region, the network is highly active. Many return regularly to mentor students, speak at events or recruit from within the programme.

“They’re very passionate,” Chan says. “They really see themselves as part of the Manchester family.”

That engagement extends well beyond professional networking. Alumni organise social events, charity initiatives and industry panels, often working closely with the Centre. In some cases, they also help open doors to new partnerships, connecting the University with businesses, government bodies and cultural institutions across the region.

Within this ecosystem, Hong Kong plays a distinctive role. Long known as a global financial centre, the city is increasingly positioning itself as a bridge between China and the rest of the world, between established industries and emerging sectors, and between East and West.

For Manchester, that makes it an ideal base.

“This is a place where you see resilience, adaptability and diversity,” Chan says. “Those qualities align very closely with how we think about learning.”

At the same time, the Centre’s relatively small scale allows it to maintain a personalised approach, something Chan sees as essential when working with experienced professionals.

“We’re not trying to be the biggest,” she adds. “We’re focused on delivering the right and relevant experience.”

The Global MBA: flexibility meets intensity

At the heart of the East Asia Centre is its flagship Global MBA, a programme that has drawn more than 5,000 graduates across the region over the years. Today’s cohorts are deliberately selective. The programme admits around 100 students annually, with acceptance rates of roughly 20%.

“These are not traditional MBA students,” says Chan. “They are professionals with motivation, so people managing teams, running businesses, or preparing for their next transition.”

The programme’s structure is designed around that reality. Around 70% of learning takes place online, complemented by intensive in-person workshops in Hong Kong. Students typically attend just a handful of sessions each year, often scheduled over weekends to minimise disruption to their professional and personal commitments.

Flexibility is central to the model. Participants can defer modules when needed, while those with professional qualifications such as CFA or CPA may accelerate parts of the curriculum. Yet the academic expectations remain rigorous.

The final component, the “live business project”, requires students to build a business plan from the ground up, covering everything from financial modelling to market strategy. “It’s not theoretical,” Chan explains. “They’re applying what they learn directly to their own companies or new ventures.”

This blend of flexibility and intensity reflects what the University describes as “boundaryless learning”, an approach that recognises education as continuous, adaptable and increasingly global in nature.

It also creates a uniquely dynamic classroom. A senior executive may find themselves working alongside an entrepreneur launching a startup, a healthcare professional seeking strategic influence, or a successor preparing to take over a family business with a more global outlook.

For Richard Cotton, Director of International Strategy and Global Influence, that challenge is precisely what makes East Asia such a critical part of Manchester’s global vision.

“East Asia is a place where innovation is happening in a slightly different way, not just in technology and research, but in education itself,” he says. “There’s a lot that the UK can learn from partnerships in the region about how people learn and how education is evolving.”

From the integration of artificial intelligence in classrooms to new models of professional learning, the region is a source of insight. “In many ways, East Asia is at the cutting edge,” Cotton adds.

Hong Kong, in particular, plays a strategic role. As a gateway to the Greater Bay Area, one of the fastest-growing economic regions globally, it offers access to a broader innovation ecosystem that extends well beyond the city itself.

“We’re increasingly looking at what I would call ‘place-to-place’ partnerships,” Cotton explains. “How can the innovation ecosystem in Manchester connect with what’s happening here in Hong Kong and across the Greater Bay Area?”

The aim is to create flows of ideas, talent and enterprise between regions, linking businesses, research and education in ways that reflect the realities of a globalised economy.

“What we’re doing is taking the Manchester offer to the world,” Cotton says. “But also giving people the opportunity to build a genuinely global network.”

Students based in Hong Kong can take electives at other international centres, from Dubai to Singapore, or travel to Manchester itself. The experience is designed not just to broaden geographic exposure, but to deepen cultural understanding. Students will learn about how different markets operate, how decisions are made, and how leadership is shaped in different contexts.

For working professionals, Cotton adds, flexibility is key. “People have demanding jobs, limited time, and family commitments. So we give them the ability to study online, combined with targeted in-person engagement,” he says.

Beyond STEM: the human dimension

While much of the conversation around higher education today centres on technology, the University is equally focused on reinforcing the role of humanities.

For Professor Angelia Wilson, Associate Vice-President in the Office of the President and Vice-Chancellor, who also oversees the Faculty of Humanities that encompasses everything from social sciences to law, business and arts, this balance is essential to preparing leaders for an increasingly complex and interconnected world.

“AI can help you draft an email,” she says. “But it can’t teach critical thinking or emotional intelligence, and you can’t be a good leader without those.”

Wilson’s research, rooted in politics and social theory, has examined rising global polarisation and what she describes as a growing reluctance to engage in dialogue. In that context, universities have a responsibility not only to produce technical expertise, but to equip students with the ability to navigate differences.

“You can’t solve global challenges unless you’re having constructive conversations,” she says.

That philosophy is reflected in the University’s academic structure and teaching approach. While the University is known for its strengths in science and engineering, roughly two-thirds of its students are based in the Faculty of Humanities, which is home to disciplines ranging from business and law to social sciences.

Just as importantly, the University places strong emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration. Computer scientists work with colleagues in the humanities in areas such as digital storytelling and gaming narratives, while partnerships with institutions like the Tokyo University of the Arts are exploring the intersection of creativity, health and society.

“It’s not only about tech and science, it’s also about culture, language and history,” Wilson notes. “That’s what creates the conditions for meaningful collaboration.”

This approach extends into the classroom. Alongside traditional exchanges and study-abroad opportunities, the University is expanding “global classrooms” which connect students across countries through shared lectures, projects and discussions.

The aim is to ensure that every student gains international exposure, whether physically or virtually, while learning to engage with different perspectives in real time.

“We want our students to understand how the world works beyond their own context,” Wilson says. “Those interactions – learning how others think, how they approach problems – are essential to becoming better leaders.”

In an era shaped by rapid technological change, that human dimension – critical thinking, empathy and the ability to connect across borders – may prove just as important as technical expertise.

“You have to learn how to engage with people from different backgrounds if you want to address the complex challenges we all face,” she says.

The Manchester Global MBA blends flexible online study with intensive Hong Kong workshops, please check our programme page or download our brochure here.

曼徹斯特大學東亞中心：全球與在地的交匯點

在香港銅鑼灣利園一期 33 樓，遠離英格蘭北部的紅磚校舍，曼徹斯特大學打造了一個反映全球教育趨勢的空間。

成立於 1992 年的曼徹斯特大學東亞中心，是該校歷史最悠久的海外據點，並持續在大學的全球戰略中扮演關鍵角色。中心的角色主要有三大範疇：招募來自東亞各地的學生、提供研究生課程，以及連結遍布區內、數以千計的龐大專業人士校友網絡。

同時，它也是曼徹斯特大學四大全球教學據點之一，與上海、杜拜及新加坡並列，旨在將大學的影響力延伸至英國以外，同時維持其學術深度。

它不僅是分校，更扮演著戰略性的角色，將曼徹斯特大學與全球最具活力的地區之一連結起來。「東亞中心不只是一個分部，更像是一個智能樞紐，」東亞區總監 Olivia Chan 表示。

學習無國界

在東亞中心，中高階職場人士從區內各地飛抵香港，在工作與學習之間穿梭，同時平衡事業、家庭與個人抱負。

這種模式反映了高等教育的一個轉變：大學不再要求學生完全遷移，而是將課程帶到專業人士所在之地，讓學習融入日常工作的節奏。

「我們的學生大多是中高層專業人士，包括企業管理者及創業者，年齡通常介乎 35 至 45 歲之間，」Chan 表示。「在香港，我們的招生範圍涵蓋整個東亞，從日本、韓國，到台灣、澳門、香港及大灣區。」

隨著時間過去，這種模式建立起一個規模可觀且高度投入的社群。目前區內已有超過 7,000 名校友，這個網絡不僅龐大，而且非常活躍。許多校友會定期回到中心擔任導師、參與活動分享，甚至在企業內部招募同校學生。

「他們非常有熱情，」Chan 說。「他們真心將自己視為曼徹斯特大家庭的一份子。」

這種參與早已超越單純的職業網絡。校友會籌辦社交活動、慈善項目及行業論壇，並與中心緊密合作。在某些情況下，他們更成為開拓新合作機會的重要橋樑，協助大學連結區內的企業、政府機構及文化組織。

在這個生態系統中，香港扮演著獨特角色。長久以來，香港被視為全球金融中心，如今則逐漸轉型為一個橋樑，連接中國與世界、傳統產業與新興領域，以及東方與西方。

對曼徹斯特大學而言，香港正是一個理想的據點。

「這是一個充滿韌性、適應力與多元性的地方，」Chan 表示。「這些特質與我們對學習的理解高度契合。」

同時，中心相對精簡的規模，也讓其能維持高度個人化的教學方式。在 Chan 眼中，這對於服務具豐富經驗的專業人士尤為關鍵。

「我們的目標不是成為最大，」她補充道，「而是提供最合適且切合需求的學習體驗。」

Global MBA：靈活與強度的交匯

東亞中心的核心，是其旗艦課程 Global MBA。多年來，該課程已培育超過 5,000 名來自區內的畢業生。如今的招生更為精挑細選，每年錄取約 100 名學生，錄取率約為 20%。

「這些並不是傳統的 MBA 學生，」Chan 表示。「他們是充滿幹勁的專業人士，是管理團隊、經營企業，或正準備迎接職涯下一階段的人。」

Global MBA 的課程設計圍繞這類群體的實際需求而制定。約 70% 的學習透過線上完成，並輔以在香港進行的密集式面授工作坊。學生每年只需出席數次課堂，而課堂多安排於週末進行，以減少對工作與家庭生活的影響。

靈活性是 Global MBA 教學模式的核心。學生可因應需要延後修讀課程，而持有 CFA 或 CPA 等專業資格者，亦可加快部分學習進度。但即使具備高度彈性，課程的學術要求依然嚴謹。

畢業前的最後一個重要環節實戰商業項目（live business project），要求學生從零開始建立一份完整商業計劃，涵蓋財務模型、市場策略等各個層面。「這並不是紙上談兵，」Chan 指出，「他們是把所學直接應用到自己的公司或創業項目中。」

這種靈活與強度並存的設計，體現了曼徹斯特大學所倡導的無界學習（boundaryless learning）理念，即將教育視為持續、可調整且日益全球化的過程。

同時，這也塑造出一個高度多元且充滿張力的課堂環境：資深企業高管可能與初創企業創辦人並肩合作，醫療專業人士尋求策略層面的突破，或是家族企業接班人準備以更國際化的視野接手業務。

對於曼徹斯特大學國際發展部總監 Richard Cotton 而言，這種多樣性與挑戰，正正使東亞成為大學全球佈局中不可或缺的一環。

「在東亞，創新以不同的方式發生，不僅在科技與研究上，也體現在教育本身，」他表示。「在學習方式以及教育演變上，英國其實可以從這個地區的合作中學到很多。」

從人工智能在課堂中的應用，到專業教育模式的創新，東亞不僅是教育市場，更是一個重要的知識來源。「在許多方面，東亞都處於前沿，」Cotton 補充道。

其中，香港的角色尤為關鍵。作為通往粵港澳大灣區，這個全球增長最快的經濟區之一的門戶，香港提供了一個延伸至更廣泛創新生態系統的入口。

「我們愈來愈關注我所稱的『城市對城市』（place-to-place）的合作模式，」Cotton 解釋道。「曼徹斯特的創新生態系，可以如何與香港以及整個大灣區的發展連結起來？」

Cotton 的目標是促進理念、人才與企業之間的流動，將商業、研究與教育更緊密地結合，反映全球化經濟的現實。

「我們所做的，是把曼徹斯特的教育帶到世界各地，」Cotton 表示。「同時，也讓學生有機會建立真正全球化的人脈網絡。」

在香港就讀的學生，可以前往其他國際教學據點修讀選修課程，例如杜拜或新加坡，甚至回到曼徹斯特本部學習。這樣的設計不僅拓展地理視野，更深化文化理解，讓學生了解不同市場如何運作、決策如何形成，以及領導力如何在不同背景下被塑造。

對在職專業人士而言，靈活性非常重要。「人們有繁重的工作、有限的時間，也有家庭責任，」Cotton 說。「因此我們讓他們可以透過線上學習，同時配合有針對性的面授互動。」

STEM 以外的人文價值

在當今高等教育的討論中，如人工智能、數據科學與工程等科技往往佔據主導地位，但曼徹斯特大學同樣致力於強化人文學科的重要性。

對於曼徹斯特大學協理副校長 Angelia Wilson 而言，要培養能夠應對日益複雜且相互連結的世界的領導者，這種平衡至關重要。她所領導的人文學院涵蓋社會科學、法律、商業及藝術等多個領域。

「AI 可以幫你寫好一封電郵，」她說。「但它無法教會你批判性思維或情緒智商，而缺乏這些能力，你不可能成為一位好的領導者。」

Wilson 的研究根植於政治學與社會理論，長期關注全球政治兩極化的加劇，以及她所形容的、人們愈來愈不願意進行對話的現象。在這樣的背景下，大學的責任不僅是培養技術專才，更要讓學生具備理解差異、跨越分歧的能力。

「如果沒有建設性的對話，就無法解決全球性問題，」她指出。

這一理念體現在曼徹斯特大學的學術架構與教學方式之中。儘管曼徹斯特以科學與工程見稱，但約三分之二的學生其實隸屬於人文學院，學科範圍從商業、法律到各類社會科學。

同樣重要的是，曼徹斯特大學高度重視跨學科合作。電腦科學家與人文學者在數碼敘事、遊戲敘事等領域展開合作；同時，與東京藝術大學等機構的合作，則探索創意、健康與社會之間的交匯。

「這不只是關於科技與科學，」Wilson 表示。「也關乎文化、語言與歷史，這些元素共同構成了有意義合作的基礎。」

這種理念亦延伸至課堂之中。除了傳統的交換生與海外學習機會，大學正積極推動全球課堂（global classrooms），透過共享課程、合作項目與即時討論，連結不同國家的學生。

其目標是確保每一位學生都能獲得國際視野，無論是透過實地交流還是線上互動，同時學會在即時互動中理解並回應不同觀點。

「我們希望學生能夠理解，在自身經驗之外世界是如何運作的，」Wilson 說。「這些互動，從理解他人的思維方式到問題解決方法，對於培育學生成為更優秀的領導者來說非常重要。」

在一個由快速科技變革塑造的時代，這種人文層面的能力 —— 批判思考、同理心，以及跨越邊界建立連結的能力 —— 或許與技術專業同樣重要。

「如果你希望應對我們所共同面對的複雜挑戰，就必須學會與來自不同背景的人互動與合作，」她說。