IBSS Dean Sarah Dixon Presents New Higher Education Strategies for China at TEDxSuzhou

SUZHOU, China, April 9, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Professor Sarah Dixon, dean of International Business School Suzhou (IBSS), today challenged the 'status quo' of traditional higher education in China at a TEDxSuzhou event held in Suzhou.

Focused on the theme 'Creative Leap,' this year's event saw 11 local and international speakers present their ideas to a multi-cultural audience of young professionals. Prof. Dixon expanded upon this theme to cover the need for greater creativity and flexibility in China's education system.

During her presentation, Dean Dixon analyzed creative leaps in education using the analogy of 'hopscotch, leapfrog, or high jump' to represent 'tradition vs. incremental innovation vs. disruptive innovation.' She named three issues driving the need for education reform: global economic shifts, disruptive technologies and new business models, and sustainable development.

Professor Dixon then evaluated the problems and solutions of various elements of the education process with a particular focus on China. She investigated, for example, the effects of the Chinese College Entrance Examination, "the Gaokao," on educational creativity, as well as touching upon constraints caused by parental control, pedagogy, management silos, infrastructure, and lackadaisical faculty.

Speaking on the Gaokao in particular, Professor Dixon explained that the centralized entrance exam teaches students to focus much of their education on passing the test, rather than actual learning. "What's wrong with the Gaokao? It teaches you how to pass exams, and it also teaches something terrible: that there is only one right answer," said Professor Dixon. "What is the solution? Teaching that there is more than one right answer." She emphasized that IBSS courses encourage students to develop a wide spectrum of solutions to business challenges. Today's business environment, she said, demands that business schools teach creativity and critical thinking.

Professor Dixon also cited other solutions besides shifting emphasis from the tests, stressing the importance of interactive learning and interaction across academic disciplines, across geographies, and between academia and enterprise. She explained a recent 'real life' case study in an IBSS strategy course in which students developed a commercialization plan for an actual startup generating low-cost green energy. "Learning by doing makes learning real," Professor Dixon highlighted. IBSS emphasizes "interest-driven learning" which taps into the passions and concerns of students, she said. "If you make learning more interesting, it becomes more relevant to the student."

In conclusion, Professor Dixon advised the TEDx audience to "get out of your comfort zone" by taking a series of creative leaps: from established mindset to "mind release," from accepting the status quo to accepting challenges, from passive to active, and -- especially relevant for China, she said -- from copying to real innovation.

About IBSS

Founded in 2013 as the exclusive business school of Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU), IBSS offers a unique blend of Western and Chinese academic practices. Located in Suzhou, one the fastest-growing commercial centers in China's booming Eastern corridor, IBSS seeks to become an international leader in business education and research.

The school's proximity to Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Nanjing, and its location within the Suzhou Industrial Park, which is home to 4,700 foreign enterprises (including 100 Fortune 500 companies) and 12,000 Chinese firms, provides IBSS with ideal conditions for business and academia to thrive. Creative interaction and collaboration with international and domestic businesses, coupled with solid academic grounding, underpins the IBSS learning and teaching environment, preparing Chinese students for international business and international students for doing business in or with China.

Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University is an international university jointly founded by leading institutions from both China and the UK. As an independent Sino-British venture, XJTLU is a pioneer in the field of higher education in China.

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SOURCE Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University