(8 January 2014 – Hong Kong) New World Department Store China Limited (“NWDS” or the “Company”; Hong Kong stock code: 825), one of the largest owners and operators of department stores in the PRC, is pleased to announce NWDS Management Academy was accredited as “China's Best Corporate University” and garnered “The Award for Social Responsibility of China Corporate University” in the award ceremony of 2013 Top List of Corporate University. The Academy’s “Project Feipeng - Core Talents Nurturing Plan” has also won the title of “Top 20 China Corporate Training Program” for two consecutive years. The awards demonstrated NWDS’ excellence in staff training mechanism. The Academy will continue to nurture more talents, in accordance with the long-term development of the Company.

To enhance employees’ competitiveness and sense of belonging, international corporations attach great importance on staff training and the idea of “corporate university” has become more popular that corporations provide in-house tailor-made professional training to employees at all levels to be in line with the corporate strategies. To acknowledge outstanding corporate universities in China, Shanghai Jiao Tong University has announced “Top List of Corporate University” annually since 2012, recognizing enterprises with excellent training mechanism as the role model in their respective industries. NWDS Management Academy was recognized as one of the 20 best corporate universities in China and its “Project Feipeng - Core Talents Nurturing Plan” was named the “Top 20 China Corporate Training Program”. The recognitions endorse the Company’s effort and achievement in nurturing department store and retail talents. The Academy also received “The Award for Social Responsibility of China Corporate University”, embodying NWDS’ emphasis on the whole-person development of the employees and how the Company incessantly encourages employees to utilize their professional knowledge and know-how to give back to the society.

As a professional training academy of retail operation and management of department store, NWDS Management Academy has established a comprehensive training and development system, including management training, class teaching, tutor training, etc, with as many as almost 700 tutors. Various training programs such as “Project Feipeng - Core Talents Nurturing Plan”, “Project Xinpeng - Management Intern Cultivation” are launched for management staff at different levels. The award-winning “Project Feipeng - Core Talents Nurturing Plan” invites professional consultant to evaluate the strength, management potential and personalities of NWDS’ core management staff, so as to assess their management abilities and identify room for further improvement. Therefore, the Company can deploy talents more effectively for its long-term development. 

Mr. Philip Cheung, Managing Director and Executive Director of NWDS said, “Not only being a cradle of talents, NWDS Management Academy has also become the Company’s engine of innovation and change since its establishment in 2005. Besides continuously strengthening the current retail training program, the Academy plans to launch a business and brand R&D centre to develop cross-over partnership with distinguished universities and training schools of renowned retail brands, in order to enrich training substance and increase brand influence of the Company as well as the Academy. NWDS Management Academy will continue to create competitive edge for staff long-term development, nurture department store talents, elevate the Company’s competitiveness, and strive to be the best corporate university in the industry.”

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