CEIBS Alumni

By Michael Thede

CEIBS Insights marked the 15th anniversary of the China-EU Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with an array of faculty columns, case studies, alumni stories, and other events that provided a wealth of content in 2018. The initiative also served to showcase CEIBS’ role in furthering China-EU communication and cooperation in both business and culture, along with providing a window to China's reform and opening up in the education sector. We take a look back at some of the highlights.

China-EU Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Vital, Says France’s Dominique de Villepin

In April, former Prime Minister of France Dominique de Villepin met with CEIBS students and delivered a keynote speech at the MBA graduation ceremony at the school’s Shanghai campus as part of his first official duties since being appointed Distinguished Professor at CEIBS. “I think it’s a key partnership. In a moment of tension among the world community it's more important than ever,” he said during his visit. “I believe that Europeans are committed to trying to find answers and peaceful solutions, through cooperation with China.”

CEIBS and FCG Ink Agreement for Charles de Gaulle Chair in Global Leadership

On June 13, CEIBS Vice President and Dean Ding Yuan joined Charles de Gaulle Foundation President Jacques Godfrain at a signing ceremony for the Charles de Gaulle Chair in Global Leadership. As part of the three-year agreement, both sides will carry out teaching and research aimed at the development of global leadership skills.

Raffarin, Former PM of France, Shares Leadership Insights

In July, more than 100 CEIBS students, faculty, and staff, as well as members of the Shanghai-based French business community gathered for a special lecture by former Prime Minister of France and CEIBS Distinguished Professor Jean-Pierre Raffarin. During the session, Prof Raffarin argued that all good leaders possess a number of key traits, including the ability to motivate others, a commitment to a clearly defined mission, and a strong moral compass.

Europe Forums Highlight Tech, Healthcare, and China-EU Cooperation

The 2018 Europe Forums kicked off in July in Munich and London and continued through until October with events in Prague, Paris, and Zurich. The series brought together business leaders and academics from China and the EU for talks on fintech, big data, AI, smart healthcare, and how China and the EU can work together to strengthen partnerships in advancing these and other areas.

China’s Service Sector Will be Major Focus of Reform and Opening-up, says PBoC Official

CEIBS Professor of Economics and Finance Sheng Songcheng met with business executives and members of the EU’s diplomatic community in September for a symposium on Sino-EU cooperation. At the event, he said he sees “huge growth potential” for China’s service sector and believes it will “rise in status as the economy develops”. “China has opened to the world in many areas but the service industry will become the main focus,” he said. “The industry enjoys promising prospects and welcomes investors from home and abroad to share the fruits of the reform and opening-up policy.”

Doing Business in Tomorrow’s China

CEIBS Associate Dean and Professor of Management Juan Antonio Fernandez addressed business executives and members of the EU’s diplomatic community in September during a symposium on Sino-EU cooperation. During the event, he stated that while for many companies the “good times” are over in China, middle-class generated consumption will have a huge impact in the years ahead. “Global middle-class consumption will shift heavily toward China, India, and other Asian countries (excluding Japan) as the high-income countries see their share decrease,” he told the audience.

Notable Quotes

"As a Sino-European relationship is becoming more and more important, I am also seeing a better CEIBS in the future and I truly hope that CEIBS can continue to make contributions to the development of the relationship between China and the European Union.”

~ China’s Ambassador to the Czech Republic, His Excellency Jianmin Zhang during the Prague leg of CEIBS 4th Europe Forum series.

"France is among the leading nations in the field of AI research and practice. We are seeing rapid scientific progress in developing AI in China, which impresses the world with a group of emerging giants in the field. There are indeed a great number of opportunities for collaboration, especially as political tension steps up among major players internationally, whereas France and China share a futuristic vision of progress.”

~ Member of Parliament Cédric Villani, who drafted France’s national AI strategy, speaking at the Paris leg of CEIBS 4th Europe Forum series.

"An aging population is the new reality facing us and what is badly needed in this scenario is services. We need to pay attention to the high-potential insurance sector and introduce reform measures.”

~ CEIBS Professor of Economics and Finance, Sheng Songcheng, who is also former Director General of the Financial Survey and Statistics Department at the People’s Bank of China (PBoC) and Counsellor to Shanghai Municipal Government. Speaking to members of the European Union’s diplomatic community in Shanghai and business executives during a CEIBS forum on Sino-EU Cooperation.

The cooperation between Chinese and European companies is definitely not a ‘zero-sum game’, but a sharing of wisdom, opportunities and mutual benefit.”

~ Board Member and CEO of Chinese international investment company CNIC Corporation Ltd Yuxian Zhou during the Germany leg of CEIBS 4th Europe Forum series.

"A financial service company that provides the most efficient, best quality, and lowest cost financial services while substantially controlling risk is the ultimate success. Companies that deviate from the very essence of the financial markets and fail to prevent and control financial risk cannot survive for long.”

~ Prof Jianqing Jiang, Chairman of SINO-CEEF Capital Management Company that has financial oversight over the China-led Belt and Road Initiative. He is also former Chairman of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) and currently CEIBS Adjunct Professor of Finance as well as Director of CEIBS Lujiazui Institute of International Finance.

"Opportunities are tremendous, and one of the big challenges is to make sense of what is happening in [the] field [of healthcare], and find a way to implement what has been achieved in research.”

~ Chris Ebell, Principal and Owner, Verticai Consulting and Ventures who is also COO, ParTec GmbH, speaking on the role of AI in healthcare during the Zurich leg of CEIBS 4th Europe Forum series.