It is less than 25 years since the first manager graduated from a Chinese university with an MBA, but in just a quarter of a century, Chinese business schools have been rapidly catching up with their American and European counterparts. Now, as they expand domestically and overseas, these business schools are facing new challenges.

Many schools still focus on teaching local managers — who mostly study part-time — in their native Chinese. But those in major cities are attracting new types of students, with a more international outlook, says Katherine Xin, professor of management at Ceibs in Shanghai.

“Many of the next generation of Chinese business leaders were sent overseas to study in their high school years. It’s a plus and a minus,” she says. “They speak English, are open-minded and multicultural but, on the other hand, many of them have problems fitting in with existing organisations.”