April 28, 2021. Shanghai – The CEIBS (Switzerland) Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) Programme held its first information session at the school's Shanghai campus today, officially launching this highly-anticipated Chinese-language programme.

The event was attended by CEIBS Vice President and Dean Ding Yuan, DBA Programme Academic Director Hwang Yuh-Chang, and Associate Dean (Europe) and HEMBA Programme Co-Director Katherine Xin, who introduced the different dimensions of the degree programme.

In his speech, Prof. Ding noted that over more than a quarter of a century, CEIBS has kept pace with China’s economic progress, offering five degree programmes in line with its motto of ‘China Depth, Global Breadth’. The school has invested significantly in building a strong faculty team in recent years, Prof. Ding continued, laying a solid foundation for the introduction of a new programme. As a result, CEIBS (Switzerland) has been able to seize the opportunity and leverage its many resources in management education to launch the DBA programme. Aligned with the school’s mission and vision, this exciting initiative enables CEIBS to honour its commitment of bridging academic theory and business practice, and meet the learning needs of its students and alumni.

DBA Programme Academic Director Hwang Yuh-Chang then expounded on the DBA’s curriculum design and features. The rigorous curriculum has six core elements, including four foundation modules, six discipline modules, ten elective modules, research practicums, applied research conferences, as well as overseas research immersion modules. Prof. Hwang emphasised the significance of the thesis research stage of the programme, during which students will be encouraged to engage in intellectual exchange through applied research conferences in their third and fourth years instead of working in silos. Students can attend conferences based on their research interests, learn about thesis preparation and research topics of fellow DBA students, and communicate with them to explore interesting and valuable research areas. This process will help students refine research ideas and culminate in high-quality theses. The programme will also support students in thesis writing by holding regular mentoring sessions and adopting multiple approaches such as lectures and experiments for theory illustration and application.

Associate Dean (Europe) and Professor of Management Katherine Xin then introduced the DBA’s admission process. Applicants are required to hold a master's degree or above and have at least 12 years of experience as a senior executive or significant policy-maker. Applicants will also have to go pass a pre-registration, formal application, and an interview before being admitted. The programme plans to enrol 30-50 students as part of the first cohort in 2021. The deadline for application is August 20, 2021, and the semester will commence in October.

About CEIBS (Switzerland) DBA Programme

The CEIBS (Switzerland) DBA Programme is a four-year, part-time, applied business research doctoral programme. In contrast with most PhD programmes, the DBA programme places greater focus on practical issues and aims to inspire students to contribute original business ideas that may shape global business policies and landscape. Packed with diverse modules and rigorous practice-based research, the programme is committed to instilling in business leaders the spirit of lean innovation, so that they can play a role in driving business and social progress through evidence-based decision-making.

Students will take courses in the first two years, and work on a thesis in the third and fourth years. The programme consists of three overseas research immersion modules that are more diversified than typical company visits. These modules will send students on trips to high-tech companies such as Google, international organisations such as the WTO, and prestigious universities in the UK, US and Switzerland, which will develop their real situation research capabilities and show them how evidence-based research generates insights and influences decision-making.

This new degree programme will be supported by CEIBS’ stellar faculty team. CEIBS featured prominently in academic publishing giant Elsevier’s latest (2020) list of Highly Cited Chinese Researchers, with nine faculty members making the list.

The DBA Programme will not only assign students with mentors, but will also invite CEIBS distinguished professors, industry leaders, and eminent scholars to share insights during Master Class sessions.