HBS To Open Hong Kong Office

Harvard Business School (HBS) recently announced the creation of a Harvard base of operations in Hong Kong, to be used by HBS faculty working in Asia.

Administrators said the office will allow faculty and their research assistants to increase the frequency and effectiveness of on-site research in Asia.

"The world is changing in such a way that most of the growth is taking place 10,000 miles away from us," said Robert H. Hayes, the HBS faculty coordinator for Asia.

The source of funding for the endeavor remains unclear, however.

Karen E. Wilson, Executive Director of the Global Initiative, said HBS is willing to cover the $1 million it costs to run the center for one year. Though HBS has committed to keeping the office open for five years, funding after the first has not yet been found.

"We hope our alumni in Asia will help us," Hayes said.

Wilson said five permanent staff members will be on hand, including a director and two research assistants who are experts in Asian affairs and fluent in English and Chinese.

According to Wilson, the permanent staff will provide HBS professors with a local perspective on Asian business.

The new research office will increase opportunities for faculty to spend extended periods of time in the region with a stronger, more coordinated resource base, said David B. Yoffie, a member of the faculty advisory committee and Starr professor of international business administration.

Each year 25 to 30 professors will travel between Harvard and Hong Kong.

Some professors are expected to spend up to three months in Asia, researching case studies that are the foundation of HBS curricula and developing working relationships with professors at Asian universities.

"We are trying to balance our material by including Asia-related cases," Hayes said.

Over the next academic year, HBS officials say they plan to spend 50 percent of the schools research budget on international studies--25 percent of which will focus on non-American companies.

Located centrally in Asia, the Hong Kong officewill serve the entire Asia-Pacific region.

"Hong Kong is more congenial for ourprofessors," Hayes said. "It has westernfacilities. Transportation is good, with access toeverything."

Twenty-five years ago HBS established an officein Switzerland to expand its activities intoEurope. But the European base closed in 1984 whenprofessors complained that commuting between thetwo locations was inconvenient.

Administrators said they are trying to preventthe Hong Kong office from dying of the same ills.

Hayes said the new location does, however,present some difficulties.

"Hong Kong is not going to be sufficient as acenter," Hayes said. "All of our alumni wanted theoffice in their own country."

Hayes said HBS is discussing plans to establishoffices in different areas of the world with Deanof the Faculty Jeremy R. Knowles, Dean of the LawSchool Robert C. Clark, and Provost Harvey V.Fineberg '67.

The new research office will begin operationthis summer but does not officially open untilJan. 7, 1999

Located centrally in Asia, the Hong Kong officewill serve the entire Asia-Pacific region.

"Hong Kong is more congenial for ourprofessors," Hayes said. "It has westernfacilities. Transportation is good, with access toeverything."

Twenty-five years ago HBS established an officein Switzerland to expand its activities intoEurope. But the European base closed in 1984 whenprofessors complained that commuting between thetwo locations was inconvenient.

Administrators said they are trying to preventthe Hong Kong office from dying of the same ills.

Hayes said the new location does, however,present some difficulties.

"Hong Kong is not going to be sufficient as acenter," Hayes said. "All of our alumni wanted theoffice in their own country."

Hayes said HBS is discussing plans to establishoffices in different areas of the world with Deanof the Faculty Jeremy R. Knowles, Dean of the LawSchool Robert C. Clark, and Provost Harvey V.Fineberg '67.

The new research office will begin operationthis summer but does not officially open untilJan. 7, 1999