Global Skills and Leadership Education: Perspectives from Asian Business Schools

Dr. Kumar is currently the Shaw Chair Professor and Dean of Nanyang Business School at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. Till May 2013, he was a Professor in the Department of Information and Operations Management at the Marshall School of Business in the University of Southern California. He served as Chairman of the Department from 1989-1994, Vice Dean for International Programs from 2003-2006 and Vice Dean for Graduate Programs from 2004-2006. From 2009-2011, on a leave of absence from USC, he served as Distinguished Professor and Dean of the College of Business at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). Dr. Kumar got his B.Tech degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology in Madras, India, his Master of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Texas and his Ph.D. from the Industrial Engineering and Management Sciences department at Northwestern University. He is the author or co-author of more than 60 articles including publications in Management Science, Marketing Science, Journal of Economic Theory, Production and Operations Management, Journal of Operations Management and Journal of Management Information Systems. Dr. Kumar serves on the Board of several companies and was a former Board member of Korea Exchange Bank in South Korea and Goodwill Industries of Southern California. In 2000-2001, he served as a member of a Special Interest Group advising the Indian Ministry for Information Technology on IT hardware and software policies.

At GLOBIS, Mr. Nakamura teaches subjects in the leadership area and has conducted various global training programs to GLOBIS' corporate clients. Prior to GLOBIS, Mr. Nakamura joined Marubeni Corporation and while seconded to Advantage Partners, worked on the reorganizations of invested companies. As General Manager of Fuji Machinery Mfg. & Electronics Corporation, he contributed in the rapid reorganization of the company. As Senior Managing Director at Sun-Life Corporation, he introduced a progressive ESOP for more than 250 employees, including part-time workers. Mr. Nakamura also writes a column, "Ki and Management" periodically at GLOBIS.JP. Mr. Nakamura earned his MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA from Hitotsubashi University.

Hellmut Schütte is Distinguished Professor of International Management, Vice President and Dean at China Europe International Business School (CEIBS). He is also Emeritus Professor of International Management at INSEAD, whose faculty he joined in 1981 and where he also served as Dean of its fast growing Asia campus in Singapore. He has also been a visiting professor at the University of Tokyo and Boston University as well as a visiting scholar at Harvard University. Dean Schütte’s teaching and research expertise is in international business, with a special focus on Asia and Emerging Markets. Prior to earning his doctorate from the University of St. Gallen, he worked in marketing and investment banking related roles across Asia.

Boasting a wealth of experience abroad and in Japan, Professor Ishikura is an expert in global strategy, innovation and knowledge management, with a number of highly-rated publications to her name including the best-selling book How to Build a Global Career.

As the first Japanese woman to gain a Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) from Harvard Business School, Prof. Ishikura’s journey from freelance translator to senior manager at McKinsey & Company and beyond is sure to inspire and motivate.

Professor Ishikura now is involved in developing media innovators with global perspectives at Keio Media Design. She is also the Vice Chair of Global Agenda Council on Education & Skills which offers leaders an opportunity to take their education and skills agenda to the next level, by raising global awareness on the need to improve education systems.