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A doctorate, in his view, is earned where work cannot be “cut and pasted”, where an answer has to be able to address a real-world problem in front of you, and where choices have to be defended under scrutiny.
CityUHK’s DBA is built around that belief, with senior executives being taken through applied research until they can produce knowledge they own, can speak about, and can put to work.
Where research meets boardroom reality
“They are busy and senior executives, and they are not turning up to repeat what they already know. Many already hold an MBA or EMBA degree. However, a single unresolved issue keeps cropping up in their work and refuses to be dealt with properly.” And that’s how he describes the programme’s candidates.
The CityUHK’s DBA programme is meticulously structured to bridge the chasm between theoretical business knowledge and practical application. It is intended for senior executives who want to engage in rigorous business research with practical and societal impacts, with yearly intake limited so one to one attention can be given.
A taught programme offers breadth, says Prof Ozer, but depth is often what is wanted by a leader who is trying to work through a complex issue. “A PhD can feel too academic for someone who intends to stay in business, so the DBA stays close to practice while keeping doctoral rigour,” he says.
Prof Ozer says the DBA attracts executives with live, workplace problems on their minds. Talent retention, leadership, and AI are common threads, and he looks for cohort diversity so discussions are not pulled towards one sector’s assumptions.
“We don’t want to see all the bankers or all the IT people,” he says. “Diversity” is key, with candidates working on leadership, AI, innovation, and other problems, and he adds that his own “diverse background, which is engineering and business” helps him work with that mix.
Why AI does not shorten the journey
Source: News - South China Morning Post
