May 18, 2019. Shanghai – The CEIBS EMBA 2019 Spring Intake Opening Ceremony was held at our Shanghai campus today, marking the official start of a new two-year journey for students from around the country.

Come to CEIBS and aim higher than business success

CEIBS President (European) and Professor of Marketing Dipak Jain welcomed the students to CEIBS as the newest members of the school’s big family. He then reviewed the growing trajectory of the global economy and management education, pointing out that, “This is an era full of innovation and a new stage for all of you. You will become brand ambassadors of CEIBS, China, and even the prosperous world.”

At the same time, Prof. Jain delivered a message to the freshmen that, “At CEIBS, you will learn not just how to increase corporate profits, but also about corporate social responsibility, commercial moralities, business ethics, and sustainable development concepts.”

Come to CEIBS and be a conscientious person

CEIBS Emeritus Professor Chen Jieping also made a speech on behalf of the school’s faculty. Professor Chen pointed out that CEIBS’ mission is to educate responsible leaders with “China Depth and Global Breadth.” The ‘E’ of EMBA at CEIBS, he said, represents not only ‘Executive’, but also ‘Elite, Exclusive, and Excellent’. To have conscientiousness is key for students of CEIBS in their pursuit of excellence.

“The CEIBS EMBA programme is a mental gym for senior executives,” Prof. Chen told the students. “You need to do three things to achieve conscientious study: First, make accurate definitions. Second, engage in rigorous reasoning. And, third, be cautious in drawing conclusions. You’ll find learning very rewarding if you can carefully comb through and summarise the experiences and lessons. At CEIBS, without pain, there are no gains.”

“Conscientiousness, Innovation, and Excellence make up the spirit of CEIBS,” said Zhu Tian, Professor of Economics, Santander Chair in Economics, Associate Dean and Director of EMBA Programme. “Over the past 25 years, this spirit has guided CEIBS in its development from inception to brilliance, and will continue to develop in the hands of new students. I hope you will strive to practice the spirit of CEIBS in your future study, work and life, and take on more social responsibilities and historical missions in the future.”

Inherit the spirit of CEIBS and start the learning journey

At the opening ceremony, Shanghai Dongzhou Enterprise Investment Management Co., Ltd. Executive Vice President and EMBA Class of 2017 representative Sha Feng also shared with students his experience at CEIBS. He said that thanks to a cohesive class culture of “Course Depth, Class Breadth” and CEIBS’ spirit of “Conscientiousness, Innovation, and Excellence,” he has grown a lot over the past two years. “The more you involve yourself, the more you become engaged, and the more you dedicate yourself, the more passion you will have and the more you will be moved,” he added. “Now that we are here, we need to put our heart and soul into it.”

Suzhou Gaia Information Technology Co., Ltd. Founder and CEO Zhang Xinbo then spoke on behalf of the new class. He reviewed his work and entrepreneurship experience over the past 16 years, noting along the way that he believes his growth and cognitive abilities have been crucial to his company’s development. He also admitted that he felt regretful for joining CEIBS so late, but was happy for having made the right choice to come in the end. “CEIBS is a new starting point and milestone in everyone’s learning career. We must live up to our ability and the expectations of the public,” he said.

At the end of the ceremony, Sha Feng handed over a flag symbolising the spirit of CEIBS to Zhang Xinbo. The freshmen of the Class 2019 of EMBA spring intake will now continue to carry forward CEIBS’ spirit of “Conscientiousness, Innovation, and Excellence.”

CEIBS is the first business school on the Chinese mainland to have been accredited by both EQUIS and AACSB and the only business school in Asia to have simultaneously made it to the Financial Times’ top 5 list of MBA and EMBA programmes.