September 12, 2018. Shanghai – CEIBS Board of Directors Member Professor Eric Cornuel is among a group of 50 recipients of the 2018 Magnolia Award. First presented by the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government in 1989, the prestigious award is given annually to foreigners in recognition of their extraordinary contribution to the social, economic, and cultural development of Shanghai.

As part of the awards ceremony, Prof. Cornuel was honoured to represent all of the recipients in addressing the many government officials, business leaders, and other distinguished guests in attendance. As well as thanking the award committee, he also used the opportunity to reaffirm his belief in the city’s Shanghai Master Plan (2017-2035) announced earlier this year.

“On behalf of all the individuals recognised today, I would like to express our gratitude for these awards,” he said. “I am convinced that the innovative policies outlined in the urban master plan will keep Shanghai on a trajectory of sustainable growth, strengthening its socio-economic tissue and increasing its national and international prestige.”

In addition to his role as a member of the CEIBS Board of Directors, Prof. Cornuel also serves as the CEO & Director General of the EFMD. The organisation’s mission is to act as a catalyst to promote and enhance excellence in management development globally.

Prof. Cornuel’s work with both CEIBS and the EFMD has placed him in a unique position from which to both drive and assess the impact CEIBS has had on Shanghai. Speaking prior to the award ceremony during a stop at the CEIBS Shanghai Campus earlier this week, he took some time to reflect on the origins of the school and the wider role it has played in pioneering management education in China.

“When we started in 1994, there was almost no management education in China. We have been a catalyst with CEIBS for the development of management education here,” he said. “All of the business schools that developed later on, CEIBS is not alien to their creation because we paved the way and directly or indirectly we have contributed to social and economic development of Shanghai and the country.”

Prof. Cornuel further mentioned that in just a short period of time, CEIBS has established its leadership in China and has become one of the top business schools in Asia and the world. He also pointed to the numerous ways in which its impact can be felt in Shanghai.

“Of course, the fact that the school has a world reputation and is a leading school in the world and training top business people is very good for the image of the city,” he said. “But, a leading business school can also develop incubators and help entrepreneurs develop and the city can become more dynamic and more jobs can be created.”

Furthermore, Prof. Cornuel stated that the quality of both foreign and Chinese alumni who have stayed on and continued working in Shanghai after graduating from CEIBS provides an additional measure of the success the school has achieved over the years.

“Many graduates have had incredible careers as CEOs or vice presidents of important companies and have taken on an important role in society, so the success of our alumni is obvious,” he said. “Here you’re among the very best in the world in terms of quality of education and research and job opportunities for students and our alumni play an important role not only in China, but also in the rest of the world.”

At the same time, Prof. Cornuel noted the invaluable contribution and support of the Shanghai Municipal People's Government and its various agencies in creating a pro-business environment and in leading the region in its continued growth. He also emphasised the importance of the role academic institutes such as CEIBS can play in supporting this growth and hinted at some of the ways in which this is possible.

“I don't see mistakes being made by the government of Shanghai. The development of infrastructure has been exemplary and they have facilitated the development of a strong economic centre,” he said. “My recommendation would be to continue the strategy that has been implemented so far, but also to insist on a knowledge and digital economy and to continue making contact with countries and companies in Europe to generate more value for the social and economic development of the region.”

The Magnolia Award ceremony also comes at a time when CEIBS celebrates the 15^th anniversary of the landmark China-EU Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Despite the many in-roads already made, Prof. Cornuel stated that he believes China and Europe still have much to contribute to one another and he hopes CEIBS will play an even bigger role in facilitating this relationship in the years to come.

“Working hand-in-hand, China and Europe are leaders in trying to improve conditions, so it's critical to develop not only more understanding, more engagement, more friendship, more economic exchanges and industrial services, but also cultural and philosophical exchanges,” he stated. “One of my objectives would be to see CEIBS even more engaged in this process and to become one of the intellectual leaders in China and Europe.”

September 11, 2018. Shanghai – In a bittersweet journey down memory lane, courtesy of photos that had the entire auditorium’s attention, Professor Pedro Nueno today began a new chapter as Honorary President (European) of CEIBS. And after his look back at the birth and growth of the 24-year-old school that has accomplished so much in such a short time, his successor CEIBS President (European) Dipak Jain laid out his vision for the journey ahead. The historic moment was shared not just by faculty and staff who filled the Petrochemical Auditorium at the school’s flagship Shanghai Campus but also those from CEIBS’ Beijing, Shenzhen, Zurich and Accra campuses who joined via video conference.

Pedro Nueno, Honorary President (European) of CEIBS

The ceremony, chaired by CEIBS Vice President & Dean Professor Ding Yuan, was also an opportunity for the school’s leadership, both the European and Chinese sides, to lead the rest of the CEIBS family in saying thank you to Prof. Nueno and welcome his successor, Prof. Jain.

Eric Cornuel, Director General & CEO of EFMD

In an often witty presentation that brimmed with sincerity, Eric Cornuel, Director General & CEO of EFMD, the European half of the joint venture that established CEIBS on November 8, 1994, spoke of Prof. Nueno’s long and impressive track record in modern management education in China. He mentioned his key role in the EFMD project CEMI, which was later reborn as an international business school in China, then led the audience in a round of applause for the man who has been synonymous with CEIBS since its launch. Cornuel also had warm words of welcome for incoming President (European) Dipak Jain, drawing a parallel between his experience across many continents and CEIBS’ global footprint before saying he was “absolutely certain Dipak would carry the flag of both the EU and Chinese sides.”

CEIBS President (European) Dipak Jain

In his address, CEIBS President Professor Li Mingjun spoke of Prof. Nueno’s more than 30-year choice (dating back to CEMI) to be a member of the CEIBS community. “The school is like his baby; he fed it, supported it, facilitated its growth and nurtured its achievements. He has always been a determined advocate, an active fundraiser, and a passionate ambassador of the school,” said President Li as members of the audience nodded in agreement. “His love for China, contribution to Shanghai and dedication to CEIBS have been well perceived and recognised.” Over the years, Prof. Nueno has been awarded with the Shanghai Magnolia Award, the Friendship Award from the Chinese government, and he was invited to meet with President Xi Jinping, representing foreign experts in China. President Li also spoke of the high regard for Prof. Nueno, the individual, the inspirational leader. “All his colleagues know him and like him – he’s kind, generous, insightful, and witty. Great leaders not only help people, they inspire them. That’s Pedro,” he said, before leading yet another round of applause.

President Li then turned to the task of welcoming President (European) Dipak Jain, mentioning his penchant for giving warm hugs to all he greets, as well as his impressive academic pedigree: a globally recognised marketing and innovation expert, an insightful opinion leader with experience as Dean of Kellogg and INSEAD. “We are now facing a dynamic new era when everything is uncertain. Challenges and opportunities co-exist in the management education sector. How we position ourselves, what our strategic initiatives are to cope with all those challenges, how we envision ourselves in the future… these are vital to our existence,” President Li told the audience. “Let us work together, the Chinese and the European side, the management team, faculty and staff members across time differences and geographical boundaries, let us work together as one. The Power of One has been the recipe of our success in the past and will continuously enlighten our way for the years to come.”

CEIBS President  Li Mingjun

A few minutes before President Li’s address, Prof. Nueno had painted a very convincing picture of just how much can be accomplished through teamwork. He had been inspired, he said, by his former Harvard Professor Frank Foltz who told him long ago that “creating business schools is creating bridges for peace” and the successful formula for running a b-school was a combination of humility and treating others with respect. With a series of photos, each revealing a bit of CEIBS’ and his own personal history, he took his audience with him from the days when the school began with “nothing” except a group of individuals who banded together as a team to create something they all believed in. There were photos of the very first meeting, in 1983, when the idea “of doing something in China” was born, photos of CEMI’s first MBA and EMBA graduation, the official birth of CEIBS, the milestone of opening the Shanghai Campus, the first CEIBS MBA and EMBA graduation, the launch and gradual growth of industry forums, developing a world-class faculty team, the decision to establish the Beijing Campus or lose the donated land, being awarded the Magnolia Award and meeting President Xi Jinping, to name a few. He also spoke of the things that set CEIBS apart from other business schools: its global footprint through its campuses worldwide, the wide range of business schools around the world with which it collaborates, its solid financial footing that has resulted from efficiency and control plus strong support from the corporate world, and its leadership team. “We have an excellent team,” Prof. Nueno said of the new core structure that includes Presidents Li and Jain along with Vice Presidents Ding Yuan and Zhang Weijiong. “Let’s look forward with ambition, be creative, and accomplish a lot. I will continue to support CEIBS but I think it’s the right moment to make way for somebody better than me.”

In his remarks, Prof. Nueno’s successor Prof. Jain laid out a clear roadmap of the current environment in business management education and his vison of how he will be part of the team that shapes CEIBS’ vision over the next 25 years. His focus, he explained, would be on CEIBS’ internationalisation within the context of its competitive advantage of providing an understanding of and entry into the Chinese market. He also thanked the rest of the school’s leadership for their confidence in his ability to contribute to its future growth. “Thank you all for this opportunity, and for including me as part of the family. I will do my best on every dimension. Let’s stay united and take CEIBS to greater heights,” he said.

The day ended with a cocktail party where members of staff and the faculty competed for the opportunity to take photos with Prof. Nueno after moving personal stories of how he had touched their lives. It was also an opportunity for even more accolades from the school leadership. “Prof. Nueno has shown remarkable spirit and devotion in contributing to business management education in China. We shall maintain a similar spirit to further CEIBS’ development and enhance China’s educational landscape,” said Honorary President Liu Ji. He added that he looked forward to seeing Prof. Nueno during the latter’s visits back to campus, and to showing him a bit more of China and Chinese culture. The cultural lesson began shortly after, with CEIBS President Li Mingjun presenting the school’s newest Honorary President – on behalf of all CEIBS staff – with a ruyi (a homophone in Chinese that means “as you wish”) symbolising the hope that all his wishes become reality in the future.

Humble as always, Prof. Nueno reminded those present that though the evening’s celebration was for him, all that had been accomplished so far was not just through his individual efforts, but the result of teamwork.

September 11, 2011. Shanghai – "If women ran the world, there would be no wars." It's an outdated cliché, but there's something to be said for the effectiveness of female leadership. Over the last two days, women leaders have been recognised and celebrated during an event co-organised by CEIBS and International Women's Entrepreneurial Challenge Foundation.

The 2018 IWEC Conference celebrated global successes in female entrepreneurship, forged new business relationships, and provided a platform for a discussion on growth opportunities in Asia. Held under the theme "Connecting Women Businesses Globally: Discovering Opportunities in Asia," the event was hosted by CEIBS at its state-of-the-art Shanghai Campus. More than 300 female leaders of enterprises and start-ups from over 20 countries gathered in the Conference Centre across from CEIBS' iconic Glass Pyramid, exchanging views on the challenges and prospects for women leadership. Through a series of dynamic panel discussions, they delved into a variety of topics from doing business in and with China, empowering women entrepreneurs with resources at all levels, to upgrading mentorship and professionalism across multiple industries.

The tone was set from the very first day of the two-day event, with inspirational welcome remarks by IWEC Chairperson and Retired Career Ambassador in the US Department of State Ruth A. Davis, CEIBS President (European) & Professor of Entrepreneurship Pedro Nueno, Chairperson of Sun Media Group and CEIBS alumna Yang Lan, Vice President of Barcelona Chamber of Commerce Adela Subirana, and Vice President of AmCham Shanghai Shilpi Biswas.

Recalling the past two decades of CEIBS' growth and development, Professor Nueno credited the hard work of generations of members of the extended CEIBS family for the accomplishments of an international business school that is becoming increasingly globally recognised. He anticipates that CEIBS will be a source of even more innovative education and research for women leadership to leverage the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow.

In her keynote speech on what's next in the field of marketing and media, Yang Lan shared insights on how to maintain one's brand and core values in an ever diversified digital era through authentic and open-minded observation and communication. IWEC Vice President Adela Subirana echoed Professor Nueno's comments as she shared her organisation's core philosophies. She hopes the IWEC will become the vantage point through which women entrepreneurs can empower themselves by fostering more informed dialogue and collaboration.

Throughout the event, awards were announced for more than 300 women business leaders from 46 countries, a formidable group of individuals who provide jobs for more than 265,000 and bring in annual revenue of USD170 million. China was among the countries (the others were US, Peru, and South Africa) from which almost 50 female leaders received the coveted 2018 IWEC Business Award. Not surprising as, over the past 40 years, Chinese women have cut a remarkable figure, accounting for 30.9% of female entrepreneurs globally according to the Mastercard Index of Women Entrepreneurs. Including Yang Lan, five awardees from China are CEIBS alumni. The other four are: Yang Ling, CEO of Beijing Gene+ Technology; Renee Wang, Founder and CEO of Castbox; Cui Feng Lyu, President of CJ Smart Cargo; and Shufang Ou, President of Universal Vision Biotechnology.

About CEIBS
China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) is among the top international business schools in Asia, where it is the only business school to have simultaneously made it to the Financial Times' top 30 list of MBA, EMBA and Executive Education programmes.

CEIBS has more than 20,000 alumni from more than 80 countries worldwide, and has provided a broad range of management programmes for more than 150,000 executives both at home and abroad. CEIBS' faculty team is uniquely equipped to deliver a combination of China Depth and Global Breadth in both teaching and research.

CEIBS has campuses in Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen Zurich and Accra.

About IWEC

IWEC is a New York-based non-for-profit organization whose mission is to connect and develop a global network of successful women business owners. IWEC's reach encompasses women who are already in the global marketplace and want to expand, and those who are ripe to get into the marketplace.

IWEC's ecosystem is comprised of women-owned companies around the globe whose combined annual revenue is over US$25 billion dollars, and who employ over 125,000 workers worldwide. Simply put, IWEC's constituents represent some of the most influential businesswomen from the world's most important emerging and established regions.

September 9, 2018. Shanghai – CEIBS welcomed more than 300 senior marketing executives to the Shanghai Campus today for the 2^nd CEIBS CMO Summit. The one-day event was held at the CEIBS Conference Centre and is a platform for those in the field of marketing to share ideas about the latest innovations and strategies.

This year’s event was highlighted by a keynote address from Former French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, who is currently in the midst of a 5-day visit to the Shanghai Campus to meet with CEIBS faculty and students and engage in high-level discussions on a variety of topics. Prof. de Villepin joined CEIBS earlier this year as a Distinguished Professor to lecture on diplomacy, soft power, and global economic competition and was recently inaugurated as the Chairman of the International Advisory Board at CEIBS.

During his 40-minute speech, Prof. de Villepin shared with the packed auditorium his insights on the global emerging economic outlook. In opening his address, he noted that China’s growing interest in the world economy comes at a time when emerging markets are faced with an increasingly complex environment full of contradictions.

“The age we are entering into is not only a time of risk to political stability, it is a time where the global economy is experiencing a major turning point,” he began by stating. “In the context of trade confrontation, it's all about choosing between two paths — the first one is isolation, the other one is cooperation.”

In response to these conditions, Prof. de Villepin used the opportunity to highlight some of the ways in which China is advocating for stronger international ties through its involvement in associations such as BRICS.

“On one hand BRICS have become a dynamic group of exchange,” he said. “On the other hand, it is also a political force defending free trade. They’ve all voted against protectionism and the creation of international multilateral tools is a concrete example of BRICS cooperation.”

Prof. de Villepin further stated that, as we move towards globalisation, the key to prosperity will be in combining the needs of emerging markets and the capacities of developed countries. At the same time, he cautioned that we live in a world where “an economic crisis in an emerging market could trigger regional collapse with negative effects.” He added that “history tells us that financial difficulties on a national level are likely to escalate into regional turmoil. At the end of the day, local crises always initiate a vicious cycle beyond borders.”

Despite the risks involved, Prof. de Villepin pointed in his speech to projects such as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and their potential to have a far-reaching, positive global impact.

“The Belt and Road Initiative provides a real alternative by building bridges between markets and it is a major economic game changer,” he said. “As well, by promoting investment in marginalised regions, the New Silk Road offers the conditions of lasting peace based on employment, integration, and development.”

Moreover, he told those in attendance at the conference that he believes the example China has set with the BRI can provide a model that Europe and other countries in the West can learn from. He also said that the shift to a greater focus on new and emerging economies warrants some reconsideration of who gets invited to the discussion table.

He stated, “Today, diversity has become the key principle of the world. It means diversity of origins that must be better represented in global institutions. The time has come to reinvent international cooperation through new principles of fairness, diversity, and balance.”

In his role as IAB Chairman, Prof. de Villepin will lead a committee of international business leaders in advising CEIBS leadership on various aspects of school governance. His mission will also include helping to establish stronger ties between China, Europe, and the rest of the international community.

To learn more about Prof. de Villepin’s background and interests, visit his CEIBS faculty profile here.

September 6, 2018. Shanghai – CEIBS faculty, staff, alumni, and students gathered in the Maple Lounge at the school’s Shanghai Campus this evening to officially mark the inauguration of former French Prime Minister and CEIBS Distinguished Professor Dominique de Villepin as the new Chairman of the CEIBS International Advisory Board (IAB). He will head a committee of eminent leaders from within the international business community in advising the school leadership on various strategic issues.

Prof. de Villepin is well-known for his influential work as a French diplomat, statesman, and writer. He began his diplomatic career in Washington, DC in 1984 and later served as Secretary General (1995-2002), Foreign Affairs Minister (2002-2004), Interior Minister (2004-2005), and ultimately as Prime Minister (2005-2007) to French President Jacques Chirac.

CEIBS President Professor Li Mingjun and Vice President & Dean Professor Ding Yuan led the more than 70 guests who attended the inauguration in formally welcoming Prof. de Villepin. During his opening remarks, Prof. Ding emphasised the role of the IAB in supporting CEIBS in its quest for “China Depth” and “Global Breadth”.

“The IAB is very important for CEIBS as it assists us in gathering wisdom from all over the world, not only from top politicians, but also from business people,” he said, adding that the board served to help “better position CEIBS strategically and also to spread our message all over the world in order to make the school better known.”

Following a brief ceremony and photo-op in which Professors Li and Ding presented him with a certificate recognising him as IAB Chairman, the evening’s guest of honour took the podium to share some of his thoughts and feelings on entering a new chapter in his life. He also took the opportunity to highlight some key challenges the school faces and to offer a vision of how CEIBS can better prepare students for a successful career.

“We need to ensure that every person coming out of this school is not only knowledgeable, not only has technical capabilities, but also possesses the capacity to integrate themselves into the strategic vision of the decision making process,” he said. “Creative adjustment to new situations and new crises is very difficult and in order to do that you need to understand the world, and you need to have dialogue and network all over the world.”

He added, “You cannot be a leader in the world if you don't think that, together, you should fight and find the right way for a win-win approach.” At the same time, he emphasised that it is important “not just to learn how to react to something, but to develop the tools to find the right way without knowing what the world is going to be like tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.”

The IAB ceremony kicks off a five-day visit to Shanghai by Prof. de Villepin during which he will participate in a number of events and activities, including delivering the keynote speech at the 2^nd CEIBS CMO Summit. Throughout his visit, he will have several opportunities to engage in high-level discussions and lectures on a variety of topics. This includes a keynote speech, today, during a seminar with Shanghai Institutes for International Studies.

Prof. de Villepin succeeds former IAB Chairman and Honorary President of the Zurich Institute of Business Education Professor Peter Lorange. To learn more about Prof. de Villepin’s background and career, visit his CEIBS faculty profile here.

September 3, 2018. Shanghai – Case studies by a pair of teams from CEIBS have taken two of the top three spots at the 2018 CEEMAN and Emerald Case Writing Competition. “WinChannel's Digital Gambit to Revitalize Rural China” by CEIBS Associate Professor of Management Daniel Han Ming Chng and Associate Professor of Strategy Peter Moran has been declared the overall winner while “Advantech: Evolution of Its IoT Ecosystem Strategy” by CEIBS Lecturer of Strategy Guo (Ginkgo) Bai and MBA2019 student Zhenrong (Edison) Wang has been named second runner-up (third place overall). Both papers were co-authored by CEIBS case writer Dr. Liman Zhao.

The annual competition is designed to promote the development of high-quality teaching case material with an emphasis on developing and emerging markets. Winners are selected through a process of peer evaluation and submissions must take the form of teaching cases based on a real situation in a real company involving a clear decision-making situation. In winning the awards, the CEIBS cases beat out more than three dozen other cases submitted from 17 countries and regions around the world.

This is the 24th year the awards have been given out and the first time two CEIBS case studies have finished in the top three positions at an international case writing competition. Prizes are slated to be handed out on September 21, 2018 as part of the 26th CEEMAN Annual Conference Award Ceremony in Prague, Czech Republic.

Both of the winning cases were produced with the support of the CEIBS Case Centre and will be used as part of the CEIBS Real Situation Learning Method (RSLM). The RSLM approach to teaching was developed to promote more effective engagement between professors, students, and business practitioners through the integration of theory and practice, “listening” (classroom teaching) and “seeing” (company visits), to create opportunities for direct communication between students and industry experts leading to more effective learning outcomes.

Dr. Chng has taught strategic management, corporate turnaround, global strategy, organisational theory and design, managerial decision making, and strategic consulting to both MBA students, managers, and top executives throughout Asia. His research focuses on organisational and managerial strategic behaviours during disruptive changes and strives to advance our understanding of how organisations and managers response to the challenges of disruption in today’s digital environment. His work has been published in a variety of international journals. Learn more about Dr. Chng’s academic accomplishments from his CEIBS faculty profile here.

Dr. Moran has taught courses in strategy, general management, and strategic problem solving at both MBA and EMBA levels. His research focuses on the mechanisms of value creation and how they are influenced by firms’ and managers’ social networks. His interests include the role firms play in influencing both individuals’ access to ideas and resources through their social relations, how resources are valued, exchanged, and combined, and how firms shape the evolution of the market’s forces. His work has appeared in numerous top-tier journals around the world. Learn more about Dr. Moran’s teaching interests and other awards and honours from his CEIBS faculty profile here.

Dr. Bai’s research focuses primarily on governance design, digital economy, adaptive efficiency, and collective creativity. Along with Prof. Michel Aglietta, she has also co-authored a book entitled China’s Development: Capitalism and Empire. Her work has been covered by major news outlets such as Le Monde, Le Figaro, Les Échos, and others. Learn more about Dr. Guo’s work from her CEIBS faculty profile here.

Dr. Zhao is a case writer at CEIBS Case Centre. Her research interests focus on social and international entrepreneurship and the design of innovative business models. In collaboration with CEIBS faculty members, she has developed nearly 50 teaching cases, among which over 20 have been published by IVEY, Emerald Emerging Markets Case Studies, and www.ChinaCases.org.

August 13, 2018. Chicago – CEIBS Associate Professor of Management Han Jian is the recipient of the Academy of Management’s (AoM) 2018 Human Resource Division Innovative Teaching Award in recognition of her work entitled “Integrating Reflection into Executive Education.” First offered in 2006, the award has only been offered to 10 scholars to date.

The award recognises individuals who have demonstrated innovation in the classroom or leadership in disseminating their innovations in the teaching of human resource management, including the use of new teaching methods and new course designs. The award also draws special attention to methods that are developed as a result of interactions with the business community and to those methods and designs that are widely adopted.

Prof. Han was presented with her award as part of a special ceremony hosted by the AoM’s HR Division. She also shared her award-winning teaching method during a series of professional development workshop activities at the AoM meeting. Having served at CEIBS for 10 years, Prof. Han is known for experimenting and combining various pedagogical methods in order to help executives improve their critical thinking and reflective ability, especially in relation to the field of strategic decision-making and talent management. Prof. Han has also dedicated herself to co-generating knowledge with executive participants through various cases and empirical studies.

Prof. Han has also been active in conducting a variety of academic research. Her publications have appeared in numerous leading academic journals and she has written book chapters and reports on topics such as organisation and talent management. She has also produced over 30 peer-reviewed scholarly conference papers and her co-authored papers have been included in the Academy of Management Best Paper Proceedings. Her work has been covered by CNN, the Financial Times, Fortune, China Daily, CCTV, and the China Business Review. Since 2018, Prof. Han has also served as an editorial board member on the Journal of Vocational Behaviour.

Learn more about Prof. Han’s academic background, research interests, media coverage, and other awards & honours from her CEIBS faculty profile here.

August 13, 2018. Shanghai - Today marked the beginning of a new chapter rooted in “China Depth, Global Breadth” as our Shanghai campus welcomed 175 students from 17 countries and regions for the CEIBS MBA2020 opening ceremony and cocktail reception.

CEIBS Vice President and Co-Dean Prof. Zhang Weijiong opened the ceremony with a warm welcome and in the process offered some valuable advice about life. “Among three people, there should be one who can be my teacher,” he said, quoting Confucius. In addition, Prof. Zhang encouraged the students to always be curious – to seek out the unfamiliar and to never stop learning.

Associate Dean and Professor of Economics Dr. Bala Ramasamy then took centre stage to introduce two concepts: happiness and humility. In regards to happiness, Prof. Ramasamy implored students to avoid being overly anxious or worried, asking them, “If you are unsure of yourself, how can you expect others to be sure of you?” He further stated that in a community such as CEIBS, where all members are leaders, humility is one of the keys to standing out. “Be the mediator and not the judge or arbitrator,” he advised.

Following Prof. Ramasamy, MBA2019 student Pablo Miguel Che Leon shared with attendees some thoughts and experiences from his past year at CEIBS. One of the main points students took away from his speech was the importance of getting involved. “As the MBA programme came into full swing, opportunities to be involved in more activities than I could think of surged,” he recalled.

The MBA2020 class also heard from one of their fellow classmates, Li Bingzi, who told her peers, “Today is the first day of our MBA programme, but for most of us, our MBA journey started long before today. The MBA programme is a self-reflection process and I believe all our questions point to one answer: I want to make a change and I want to change the world.” Li’s declaration struck at the core of the business mind-set, inspiring her fellow classmates to strive for the change they desire.

The day’s penultimate speaker, Deputy Director of the MBA Programme Ms. Ma Ning, then provided students with a brief summary of what they can expect during their next two years at CEIBS, specifically focusing on the academic rigor, extracurricular activities, and exchange programme opportunities available.

As the opening ceremony came to an end, the new class began to prepare themselves for the journey ahead with MBA Programme Director Prof. Juan Antonio Fernandez’s welcoming words in mind, “During your time at CEIBS you will discover new things about the world and about yourself. Embrace and enjoy the diversity of the class as you learn from each other.”