教授观点
当前位置: 首页>>师资课堂>>教授观点>>正文
“Real Case, Real Ambition”──interview Professor Alain Dumont
2018-12-28 林东富、白锐 


The 21st edition of 《Qunxian》,

the EMBA of Xiamen University

For the 15th anniversary special interview

Interviewee: Professor Alain Dumont

Interview venue: “QunXian” classroom


Interview purpose:

Since formal establishment in 2002, the EMBA of Xiamen University has reached its 15th anniversary and attained a series of brilliant achievements. For the purpose of reviewing knowledge-imparting history and sharing instructional experience, as well as acclaiming the renowned educators and excellent alumni, in order to develop “second curve” of Xiamen University EMBA which aims for providing top-notched education to Chinese entrepreneurs and creating new business management exemplar for a better future, we are sincerely inviting renowned educators as well as the enrolled students and the graduated alumni from Xiamen University EMBA for an interview which shall be compiled and published in “QunXian” (literally it means “Experts in Hall of Fame”) for publicity.

"Qunxian" is an internally circulated journal which has been issued for 20 times, it serves to share information amongst more than 7,000 EMBA alumni from Xiamen University. As a high-tier, reader-oriented and premium-quality platform for internal communication, we primarily introduce the teachers, alumni, courses and development of our program to the alumni and the societal guests who pay attention to the EMBA of Xiamen University.


“Real Case, Real Ambition”

interview Professor Alain Dumont

(访厦门大学EMBA《全球管理咨询》授课教授Alain Dumont)

导师名片


Alain Dumont


硕士毕业于法国巴黎索邦大学,杜兰大学A.B.弗里曼商学院教授,法国HEC管理研究院教授。


研究兴趣:创新战略管理。(担任多家公司管理咨询顾问)

Interviewer: Thank you, Professor Dumont! You teach the global consulting project course and from your experience, what kind of role or what is the significance of this course to the EMBA students, what will they benefit from the course?

Prof. Alain Dumont:Well, the main benefits for the students is to apply all the knowledge that they have been receiving during their education to practice the case. In fact, we play like a game, we have one student who is a volunteer, with the company Saonon, who will present to offer their issues to the class, and the class will be working as their consultants to solve the issue of the company. It is a real business project. We have a client Mr.Shao and we have 45 consultants, working under my supervision, trying to help his company. So it’s a real case, it’s a real company. And the Saonon company has a real ambition to grow their business overseas. The students will carry out surveys, research and they will come up with recommendations. The end of the project, is in March. Over four months, the students will be doing research under my supervision and they will present their recommendations to the client company in March 2018.

We are now breaking new grounds in Xiamen University, because it’s a new thing, I have been doing this for many years with the American students in the Tulane University.

So based on my experience, I can say it’s a win-win situation. It’s a win situation for the client, because they have a new perspective for their issue and it’s a win situation for the students, because they utilize all the knowledge they have received in their previous courses. The main challenge of the company is that they want to expand its business overseas. The course they have received preciously two months ago was International Strategy. So I’m going to see how well they can utilize the concept. It’s moving from academic to practice.

Another very important benefit for the students is to prepare their recommendations.It's a communication process. They will present their findings and recommendations to the CEO of the company, to directors of the company, they will help to write report before the presentation. I can tell you that it is perceived by the students as a challenge, but at the end of the process, they are very happy.

The course is using an international perspective in the consulting project case. It is experimenting the consulting procedure for a global issue.

Dumont教授执教厦门大学EMBA的全球管理咨询课程,结合他丰富的经验,首先谈到了课程对EMBA学生的意义,“学员受益之处在于将所学运用到实践中去。而我们的课程筛选真实的案例,实现真正的雄心。我们选择班级中学员的企业作为咨询案例,由这个公司的1名学员作为公司代表介绍存在问题,由45名学员充当顾问角色,在我的指导下来解决问题,学生在老师的指导下约在明年3月份要给出相应解决方案和建议,中间有4个月在老师的指导下进行调研和调查。”他强调,“之前在杜兰大学教授美国学员,现在我们在厦门大学开始了新的尝试。基于过去的经验,这个课程对于所有人来说都是双赢的结果,对于被选中的公司可以获得新的视角,对于其他充当顾问角色的学员可以应用他们课程中学到的知识。借助这次课程,检验他们对课程的理解和概念的运用,这是知识从理论到实践的运用。对学员来说,提出他们的建议是非常重要的。这是一个沟通的过程。他们将向公司的首席执行官介绍他们的发现和建议,向高管团队写报告。基于过往经验,课程之初学员们会认为这是一个挑战,但是课程结束后,他们都很满意。”


Interviewer: About the international perspective, from your experience, how should the students have this kind of awareness, what kind of international perspective they should have in order to do their business well in the future?

Prof. Alain Dumont: First, they have known the course two month ago. This is the first phase of the course.  Second, they will have to do research specific to this case. Afterwards, they will have to find a proper source of information,country by country to understand the customers,the competition, the relations and so forth.

The global perspective is this company today focus mostly on the domestic market plus on the Asian market and now they want to enter Europe and the US to expand their business globally. And they are facing global competitors, so they will be engaging in the global game.

Interviewer: So for Chinese EMBA students, if they want to make their ways to the US market, what kind of quality and what kind of traits do they need to be prepare for the ambition?

Prof. Alain Dumont: The qualified manager should have to be open minded and fluently English, it does help, they should be capable to create teams around them with good knowledge about the country they are targeting and they should have competitive products.

课程将从咨询的方式解决全球化问题,Dumont教授对于进入全球市场提出了自己的看法,“今天的公司主要关注的是国内市场和亚洲市场,现在他们想要进入欧洲和美国,扩大在全球的业务,他们正面对着全球竞争对手,他们将参与到全球游戏中来。对于中国EMBA学生来说,如果他们想要进入美国市场,合格的经理人应该有开放的头脑和流利的英语,语言确实有帮助,但更重要的是,他们应该建立有能力的团队,了解目标市场,提供竞争性的产品。”


Interviewer: From your perspective, compared with the International EMBA students and the Chinese EMBA students. What’s the gap? Are there any areas that Chinese EMBA students should improve?

Prof. Alain Dumont: I’ve taught in China previously, so I can tell you that there is no intellectual gap between Chinese and American students. But American EMBA students speak English, they belong to the No.1 economy in the world and have a longer experience of international markets.

To enter foreign markets, you have to be smart and know a few rules. The Chinese EMBA students that I know are fantastic challengers. China is the second largest economy in the world. In many fields, China is very competitive, and China has demonstrated in many industries that it is capable to become a global player. If you want to talk about weakness and strength of the Chinese students, I would say that they have to improve their English and learn the rules of global competition. But they are eager to fight, they want to conquer new markets, when you’re NO.2, you want to become NO.1. That’s a good thing. The Chinese students are willing to learn. This is my opinion and I am quite optimistic about their success.

对于教授过的中、美等国的EMBA学员,Dumont教授露出满意笑容,“美国学员认为自己属于世界第一经济,自信且聪明。进入国外市场,你必须聪明,懂得如何征服国外市场。而我认识的中国EMBA学生是非常棒的挑战者。中国是世界上第二大经济体,在许多领域都非常有竞争力,中国已经在许多行业中展示了他们有能力成为全球企业。中国EMBA学员都是敢于挑战的勇士。中国EMBA学员可能英语不够好,但他们非常有斗志,他们渴望征服新的市场,他们非常愿意学习。当你不是第一的时候,你渴望成为第一。这是一件好事。”


Interviewer: For the course style,it is a serious game, will you have particular adaptation of some course elements for the Chinese students?

Prof. Alain Dumont: Yes, the only adaptation in this project is the company. The company we have chosen is run by one of the students. In the US and Europe, the company is usually not from the students. My ideal company would be from outside the group of students. But it’s the first time. We spent a whole day with Mr.Shao and came up with well-designed courses. It will work.


Interviewer: What is your expectations for Xiamen University?

Prof. Alain Dumont: Well, I’ve been teaching in China as I said before. But it was more like classical teaching, giving lectures. This is a different type of relationship here and I’m eager to see how it works. I’ll do my best.

由于不同以往的课程设计,Dumont教授期待在厦门大学的新里程,“我曾在中国任教,但那更倾向于传统的教学和讲座。另外,在美国和法国授课的案例公司往往不属于学员,此次则不一样,我们已专程参访待解决问题的案例公司,虽然是第一次,但是我认为我们有足够的时间,通过精心设计课程,我将倾尽全力准备此次的新尝试,期待看到它的效果,通过真实案例,实现学生开拓海外市场的雄心。”



关闭窗口