Professor Toemsakdi Krishnamra
President, AAPBS
Director, Sasin Graduate Institute of Business Administration
Presidet 2009’s Farewell Address
Our Association of Asia-Pacific Business Schools, AAPBS, has now completed its fifth year. I believe we have built on the foundations laid with vision and patience by Professor Sung Joo Park, and have created an association of reputation and strength. An Association to which we all contribute and in which we can all take pride.
As we are so often told, we stand at the threshold of the century for Asian business: a time when this region will re-emerge as the economic engine of the world. Statistics already bear out this claim. I believe that we also stand at the threshold of the century for Asian business schools.
Students around the world are realizing that it will be by their performance in the powerhouses of Asian business that they will be judged. The business leaders of tomorrow may or may not be Asians, but it will be Asian businesses that provide their greatest challenges and opportunities.
As a result, I am confident, that the brightest and the best will be drawn to learn, in Asia, at schools of Asian business. We can already see the increased focus by business schools on Asia. Global players are entering the region, making Asia-Pacific one of the most competitive arenas for management education in the world. Hopefully this increased competition will spur our established Asian b-schools to ever greater heights.
Now is the time we must to ensure that we have quality business schools able to focus, in their research and their teaching, on the essence of business with an Asian flavor. We have the opportunity to put an Asian impress on management education: this is the challenge that we must accept.
In 2010, with our Presidential Office in Singapore, AAPBS looks forward to welcoming new members, and renewing ties with existing members. It is our aim to work, co-operate, and compete, together to bring our member schools to a higher level of competence and strength.
It has been my pleasure and my very great honor to serve all of you as President of AAPBS 2009. I wish all of you prosperity, happiness, health, and the best of LUCK for 2010.






