January 26, 2009. Shanghai campus -- The China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) announced today that the school's MBA programme has been ranked #8 in the Financial Times annual global ranking of MBA programmes. For 2007 and 2008, the school was ranked #11 globally. CEIBS has also been ranked #1 in Asia for the 6th consecutive year by the FT.
Other schools in the top 10 were: Wharton (1); London Business School (1); Harvard Business School (3); Columbia Business School (4); Insead (5); Stanford (6); IE Business School (6); CEIBS (8); MIT Sloan (9); New York University Stern (10).
"For a school that is only in its 15th year, to rank among the Financial Times' Top Ten is an extraordinary accomplishment," said CEIBS Executive President Pedro Nueno. "The Financial Times is well recognized as one of the best respected, most rigorous international business school surveys. I am extremely proud of CEIBS students, alumni, faculty and staff. This is excellent news for our 15th anniversary year."
Prof Pedro Nueno
Said CEIBS President Zhu Xiaoming: "CEIBS' celebration of its 15th birthday, this year, has become all the more significant with the news that CEIBS has been ranked #8 by the Financial Times and is now among the world's Top 10 business schools. This is proof that China's adherence to the reform and opening-up policy is the right approach, and that during China's economic development CEIBS has been recognized (as described by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao) as the 'incubator for excellent business leaders'."
Prof Zhu Xiaoming
"To be ranked by the Financial Times among the Top 10 most prestigious business schools in the world is not only an excellent accomplishment for CEIBS but also a success for international business education made-in-China, and an example of the extra-ordinary levels of excellence that are emerging out of the economic and social development of China," said CEIBS Dean and Vice President Rolf D. Cremer.
Prof Rolf D. Cremer
"This year's FT rankings are a tremendous endorsement of the progress that CEIBS has made, in a very short time," said CEIBS Associate Dean and MBA Programme Academic Director Professor Lydia Price. In particular, she praised the world class caliber of CEIBS students and faculty. "CEIBS owes much of this success to the partnership formed between our excellent faculty and excellent students. The community we have established fosters a culture that is engaged, proactive, influential and truly international. It is this sense of community that is driving the school forward."
Prof Lydia Price
The 2009 FT ranking follows on CEIBS announcement on January 5 that the school has been accredited by the AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business), the standard business school accreditation body in the United States. In 2004, CEIBS was accredited by EQUIS (the European Quality Improvement System) for the first time and re-accredited in 2007.
FT Ranking Analysis
The 2009 FT rankings show an ongoing trend of increasing international character, alumni recommendation and strong salary and career progress of alumni.
In the category of "international faculty," CEIBS ranks #8 worldwide (with 69% international faculty), while the school rates #12 in "international experience" of students (which measures the extent of international exposure embedded in the MBA curriculum). In addition, for this year's ranking, CEIBS improved in "percentage of international students": for the 2009 ranking, 37% of CEIBS students are international, compared with 32% in 2008. In the category of "international mobility", CEIBS also improved from 96th rank in 2008 to 83rd rank this year. This measures "employment movement" of alumni before and after their MBA, and also during the three years following graduation. Commented MBA Programme Academic Director Lydia Price: "The high score in these categories reflects CEIBS' deliberate policy toward internationalization of the student body. This shows our international character -- that our students come to CEIBS from around the world, and our alumni network also extends around the globe."
Showing CEIBS' increasingly strong brand recognition around the world, the school also moved up in the category of "alumni recommendation," in which international b-school alumni are asked to name three business schools from which they would recruit employees. "We are especially pleased that CEIBS is being recognized by recruiters around the world as an excellent source of talented graduates. This reflects a growing recognition of the CEIBS brand on a world scale," said Prof. Price.
Salary increase for CEIBS graduates also played a role in the school's high ranking for 2009. CEIBS ranked #1 in the survey in the category of "salary percentage increase," which measures the increase in earning power before entering the MBA versus the salary three years after graduation. In addition, CEIBS rated #7 in terms of weighted salary (which is an average of three graduating classes, adjusted for variation between industries). Prof Lydia Price: "We are pleased that our salary data remains strong, reflecting the abilities of our students and the strength of the Chinese economy."
AACSB Accreditation
January 5, 2009, CEIBS announced receiving accreditation from AACSB International, the US standard for business school accreditation. Schools normally take up to 5 years to be accepted but CEIBS took only 3 years. The acceptance includes evaluating the quality of faculty, students, mission and strategy, and assurance of learning. Evaluators also ensure that accredited schools accomplish the objectives stated in their Mission Statement. This acceptance represents that CEIBS has been accepted by the two most rigorous accreditation systems in the world, and with these two aureola, CEIBS has earned itself a place in the elite circle of international business schools through both top rankings and accreditation by the most rigorous standards of its peers. With these backing forces, CEIBS has got better prepared to cultivate highly competent, internationally oriented managers who are capable of working within the Chinese economic environment while adapting to the forces of business globalization, international competition and international cooperation.
2009 Curriculum Reform
November 2008, the 2009 curriculum reform was presented as the result of a year-long collaboration that included input from faculty, recruiters and current students. The reform mainly focuses on changes in the following five aspects:
1) China focus
Effective 2009, basic Chinese language competency will be compulsory for foreign students in order to improve their marketability in China's dramatically growing economy; China HR and China Within the World are added in requiredcourses. The school also will dedicate significant resources to staging China Discovery Week -- an intensive lecture series that explores contemporary issues in China business.
2) Cross-functional curriculum integration
The new CEIBS curriculum includes several applied integration modules that require students to innovatively and systematically solve practical business problems using knowledge and skills they've acquired in earlier business courses. The modules are spread throughout the MBA curriculum to reinforce and build upon each stage of learning.
3) Entrepreneurship
A required course on Entrepreneurial Management explores the benefits of entrepreneurial thinking and management styles for all firms, regardless of size or development stage. Follow-on elective courses dig deep on specific issues related to new business startups.
4) Strengthening both soft skills and analytic capabilities
A new foundation module emphasizes the skills and understanding needed to successfully apply business knowledge in the workplace. Cultural understanding, teamwork, leadership, and presentations skills are honed in the 'soft skills' part of the module. Quantitative methods and spreadsheet analysis are strengthened in the analytic part of the module.
5) Flexibility in Year Two
The second year of the CEIBS curriculum is flexible, allowing for graduation in 18 or 20 months depending on the student's choice of electives and work experiences. Elective credits can be as few as 18 or as many as 36. A summer internship is optional. Students can design their own course of study to best meet their interests and career needs.
For more information please contact:
Laurie Underwood
Director of External Communications
China Europe International Business School
Tel: (86-21) 2890-5505
Email: lunderwood@ceibs.edu
Prof Zhang Jie Congratulates CEIBS on Its 8th Place in FT Global MBA Ranking
