Collaboration in China is a key opportunity for UK businesses

Bradford University School of Management launched its Centre for Managerial Excellence at an event for 100 business leaders and research academics last week (Thursday 30 June 2011).

Guest speaker Aleem Sheikh, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships with BP and a member of BP’s global leadership team, has operated from China for the last seven years. Also a member of the School’s advisory board, he opened the evening event by outlining the opportunities and challenges facing China as the global economy changes shape by 2030.

“In many ways, China’s actions will have a huge impact on the way the world develops” said Aleem Sheikh.” But it faces tough questions, particularly two. Can China secure the energy it needs to meet its development goals? And can it make its energy consumption sustainable? I believe there is a very good chance that it can.”

He added: “I am sure China will succeed by continuing along the path of partnership that it has travelled so successfully in the last few decades. In our own case, BP has worked closely with our Chinese partners, government and academia to help address these challenges.

“This type of collaboration with China could be a model for many other UK businesses – and you don’t have to be the size of BP to create or capitalise them.”

China is widely expected to become the world’s largest economy before 2030 and BP estimates that by then the world could be consuming 40 percent more energy than today – equivalent to adding two more Chinas to the world’s consumption of energy. Although China’s energy consumption is growing rapidly, the country reduced its energy intensity of GDP – the amount used per head of population – by almost a fifth over the last five years.

Professor Jackie Ford, head of the Centre for Managerial Excellence, said the centre can help businesses to carry out research in four key areas – enterprise and innovation; strategic adaptation; leadership and talent management; and finance.

Academics from the School gave presentations on current research which includes helping the NHS understand the best ways to identify and develop future leaders; how global businesses adapt to change; the impact of intellectual property rights on taking products and services worldwide; and long term funding of pensions and nuclear power stations.

Prof Ford said: “Our guests were bowled over at the breadth, quality and usefulness of our research. We hope businesses will talk to us about how the research we are doing could help them. They could take part in some of our ongoing research projects or we could tailor research to their particular needs.”

Bradford University School of Management is the North’s top business school, as ranked by the Financial Times.

To discuss working with the School, contact Sue Richardson on 01274 234331 or cme@bradford.ac.uk.  The full speech is available at http://www.bradford.ac.uk/acad/management/docs/cme/CME-Launch-Speech.doc