Development of a Master Program: High-end Brand Management
emlyon business school, Shanghai
Dossier
I developed the official accreditation dossier for the creation of the Master of Science in High-end Brand Management at emlyon business school, Shanghai. The dossier was prepared for submission to the Conférence des Grandes Écoles, the institution that accredits Master’s programs within the French Grande École system. Its purpose is to demonstrate that the program meets the academic, professional, and institutional standards required for accreditation. It defines what the program is about, why it is needed, who it is designed for, how it leads to concrete career outcomes, and how academic quality and governance are ensured over time. This program was the first Master of Science accredited by the Conférence des Grandes Écoles to be delivered primarily outside France.
Core Components of the Accreditation Dossier
Professional Scope and Targeted Careers: This part defines the jobs and career paths the program prepares students for. It links industry expectations in the high-end and creative industries to concrete roles, functions, and the skills students are expected to acquire.
Benchmarking and Differentiation: I conducted a competitor analysis and benchmarking against leading French, Chinese, and international programs. It explains how the program is positioned differently, in particular through its focus on strategic branding, deep China immersion, SMEs, entrepreneurship, and digital capabilities.
Market Rationale and Industry Need: This section explains why the program was created. It shows why existing programs were not sufficient, what gap this program fills, and how it responds to structural changes in luxury, high-end, and creative industries, with a particular emphasis on China.
Academic and Professional Partnerships: This part documents the academic and corporate partnerships supporting the program. It describes collaborations with universities, companies, and advisory boards, and explains how external partners help keep the curriculum aligned with real-world developments.
Curriculum Structure and Learning Path: This section presents the program structure I designed, including the definition of the curriculum architecture, the selection and structuring of course topics, the setting of learning objectives and ECTS weights, the sequencing of courses across semesters, and the coherent integration of theory, application, and professional experience over two years.
Quality Assurance and Continuous Improvement: This part explains how the program is reviewed and improved over time. It describes how feedback from students, alumni, faculty, and industry partners is collected and used to continuously update the curriculum.
Program Communication & Visibility
The main marketing activities for the program include the following:
- Development of brochures and the program website in collaboration with the marketing team
- Masterclasses to promote the program
Main Activities in Program Management
1. Academic Coordination & Quality
- Provide academic leadership for the course portfolio and overall program structure
- Work with faculty to define coherence, progression, and learning outcomes
- Ensure academic alignment with accreditation frameworks (AACSB, EQUIS, AMBA, CGE, etc.)
- Review teaching quality, evaluations, and continuous improvement insights Guide syllabus evolution and pedagogical innovation
2. Faculty & Stakeholder Management
- Act as academic interface between faculty, school leadership, and key stakeholders
- Brief faculty on program vision, positioning, and student profile
- Ensure consistency in academic expectations, grading philosophy, and workload norms
- Initiate Strategic Committee Meetings to steer academic direction and program priorities
- Find and support visiting professors and guest speakers
3. Student Experience & Journey
- Define the academic logic of the student journey (from onboarding to graduation)
- Act as escalation point for complex academic cases and strategic student issues
- Align academic content with career services positioning and outcomes
- Ensure clarity and consistency in academic communication to students
4. Program Development & Innovation
- Lead curriculum evolution and new course development
- Integrate industry trends, applied projects, and guest expertise into the academic model
- Benchmark academic positioning against peer and competitor programs
- Shape new teaching formats (hybrid, block delivery, international modules) from an academic perspective
5. Admissions & Recruitment
- Define academic admissions criteria and cohort composition principles
- Contribute to admissions interviews and academic candidate evaluation
- Ensure alignment between program promise, academic rigor, and student capabilities
- Advise on cohort size, profile balance, and selectivity
6. Program Branding & External Relations
- Represent the program academically in internal and external contexts
- Contribute academic input to rankings, accreditation narratives, and audits
- Ensure intellectual coherence and credibility of program messaging
- Maintain academic relationships with corporate partners, alumni, and institutions
7. Budgeting
- Preparation of an annual budget
- Monitor teaching budgets and external faculty costs
Entwicklung eines Online-Programms: High-End Brand Management
Ich habe das High-End Brand Management Online Program an der emlyon business school Shanghai konzipiert und geleitet. Das Programm wurde in Kooperation mit der CEIBS, einer der führenden Business Schools Asiens, durchgeführt. CEIBS war für die professionelle Produktion des Programms verantwortlich und gestaltete ein hochwertiges Online-Lernerlebnis, geprägt durch handgezeichnete visuelle Narrative und fortschrittliche digitale Lernwerkzeuge. Dieses Programm war das erste vollständig online durchgeführte Programm der emlyon business school. Im Rahmen des Programms habe ich den Onlinekurs „How to Build a High-End Brand“ konzipiert. Der Kurs basiert auf meinem Buch Build a Brand to Change Your World und wird durch neue Fallstudien sowie Interviews mit führenden Persönlichkeiten aus dem High-End-Brand-Management ergänzt, darunter Jiang Qiong Er, zu der Zeit CEO und Artistic Director von Shang Xia, sowie Patrick Thomas, ehemaliger Präsident von Hermès.
