Jun 16 2008
Blue Ocean Strategy In Higher Education
I’m interested to take a short course on law for self-improvement. In particular, I wish to learn about laws applicable to businesses, intellectual property, e-commerce and cyberlaws.
However, as I browse through the web sites of law schools on the Internet, such as that of ATC (Advance Tertiary College), I don’t quite find what I want, unless I don’t mind taking a single subject in courses like ICSA. These law schools cater for those who want to be lawyers, but not working people who want to learn more about law like me.
According to an insider, the higher education industry in Malaysia is very competitive. Not many private colleges are making money. In fact, many are struggling and are on the verge of closing down. There are thousands of colleges, institutions and training centers registered with the two government ministries in Malaysia. But how large is our population?
The colleges need to seek a way out, not to fight head to head with other colleges, but to seek their own way. I guess they need their own blue ocean strategy.
One example is not to see what other colleges offer and follow suit. That is, not to benchmark others. But they are to look beyond their traditional customers and find out what non-customers want.
Take my case as example. Law schools like ATC could look beyond their traditional market boundary consisting of those who want to take up law as their career. Perhaps they could offer law courses to those currently not their customers who are interested in gaining some knowledge in law, and catering for what they need.
Colleges could design new courses in response to what the market wants. They could win by devising and executing a blue ocean strategy. But sometimes you need a paradigm shift to look beyond what is being done now…
How about you? Are you able to find the course that you would like to take?
Read related posts
You can subscribe to this blog here in your feed reader or by email.