March 2, 2021. Shanghai – The official giving and naming ceremony for the new CEIBS’ Hospitality EMBA (HEMBA) Lecture Hall was held today on the Shanghai campus. The HEMBA classroom project was initiated by the CEIBS Education Foundation together with students and alumni from the HEMBA 2018 and 2019 cohorts. As an on-going initiative, the project will collect the class gifts from future HEMBA cohorts so as to serve to strengthen the bond between HEMBA alumni and the school.

CEIBS Vice President and Co-Dean Zhang Weijiong and CEIBS Associate Dean (Europe), HEMBA Programme Director and Bayer Chair in Leadership Professor of Management Katherine Xin joined more than 20 HEMBA students and alumni and numerous faculty and staff members in participating in the ceremony.

In opening the ceremony, Prof. Xin first expressed her gratitude to HEMBA students and alumni for their support to the school and HEMBA programme. She added that, since the launch of the programme in 2017, the school and its students have worked closely to advance HEMBA’s development. HEMBA 2018 alumni, she said, have not only contributed to the optimisation and development of the programme, but have also laid the foundation for a culture of gratitude which can be passed on to future cohorts. Although HEMBA 2019 students have not yet graduated, they also offered a class gift to support the school’s development.

Next, Shandong H&C Property Management Chairman Wang Hongjie (HEMBA 2018) and Carl Zeiss Optics Marketing VP/General Manager and Zeiss Elite Academy President Yang Xiaoguang (HEMBA 2019) presented a joint gift to Prof. Zhang Weijiong, who accepted it on behalf of the school and the CEIBS Education Foundation. Prof. Zhang also offered commemorative gifts as a symbol of appreciation for the contributions of the HEMBA community. In total, the HEMBA 2018 and 2019 cohorts donated more than 1.6 million RMB for the development of the school.

Wang Hongjie (HEMBA 2018) then gave a speech to mark the class gift in which he stated that, in light of the disruption caused in 2020, the experience of studying at CEIBS helped everyone find certainty amongst uncertainty. He added that HEMBA 2018 alumni are very honoured to be able to continue to learn and grow at CEIBS. He said that the idea of naming the HEMBA classroom through a class gift stems from their gratitude for being about to learn and grow together over the course of the 18-month programme. Finally, he said that he hopes that the HEMBA Lecture Hall will serve as a reminder of their time at the school, so that everyone who enters it can feel the warmth of the HEMBA community.

Next, Yang Xiaoguang gave a speech on behalf of HEMBA 2019 students. He said that he believes that, as the service industry continues to evolve, his experience in the programme has enabled him and his classmates to gain a lot of valuable experience by helping them to apply the concept of service excellence to their professional roles and providing a great opportunity for transformation and improvement. In addition, he noted that the opening of the HEMBA Lecture Hall also means that HEMBA alumni now have a platform for lifelong learning and communication. Lastly, he said he hopes that the HEMBA Lecture Hall can grow with generations of HEMBA students and pass on the spirit and philosophy of service excellence.

Prof. Zhang also delivered a thank you speech on behalf of the school and the CEIBS Education Foundation. He said that the class gifts have both moved and motivated the school. CEIBS, he continued, will continue to strive for perfection and make the HEMBA programme even better in the future. Furthermore, he said that he believes that the service industry is an important part of China’s competitive strength. Moreover, he said that he believes the HEMBA programme can boost the development of the service industry and will have a positive impact on the country’s economic development. He added that he hopes HEMBA 2018 and 2019 cohorts will serve as role models for future cohorts. He also concluded that he hopes that the HEMBA community will have more opportunities to share their experiences with others and that more alumni will participate in providing support for CEIBS.