December 15, 2025. Shanghai – 2025 marked a year filled with impactful moments, groundbreaking events, and inspiring milestones for CEIBS, including the celebration of the 50th anniversary of EU-China diplomatic ties, underscoring the school’s commitment to academic excellence, responsible leadership, and global business impact. Read on to dive into the highlights that defined the past 12 months as we look ahead to an even more transformative 2026!

At the beginning of the year, CEIBS faculty shared their insightful predictions for 2025, offering valuable perspectives on new technological developments, geopolitical upheaval, and economic prospects.

In February, the CEIBS MBA programme was once again named #1 in Asia (#12 globally) in the Financial Times’ 2025 global ranking, marking nine consecutive years as the highest ranked programme in the region on the internationally authoritative list.

March saw CEIBS officially welcome Professor of Economics and Santander Chair in Economics Zhu Tian as new Vice President and Co-Dean of the school with a five-year tenure. Prof. Zhu took over from Professor of Strategy Zhang Weijiong, who stepped down after over two decades of service to CEIBS.

In April, CEIBS was once again awarded the Business School Impact System (BSIS) label by EFMD Global in partnership with FNEGE. This renewal marked CEIBS’ continued recognition as a top-tier business school deeply committed to generating impact across three key areas: intellectual, societal, and image.

May marked a series of important milestones for CEIBS. The school appointed Former President of the European Council and Former Prime Minister of Belgium Charles Michel as Distinguished Professor, with an appointment ceremony held at our Shanghai campus. The important move reaffirms our commitment to high-level exchange between the EU and China.

 That same month, we officially launched the new Global Master in Management (Global MiM) CEIBS (Switzerland) – ESCP Double Degree Programme, a dynamic new addition to CEIBS’ programme portfolio. Delivered jointly by CEIBS and ESCP and spanning the four global business hubs of Shanghai, Paris, London, and Zurich, this new programme aims to offer students a transformative experience designed to foster a new generation of global business leaders.

Also in May, we hosted a major forum to commemorate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the European Union and China. The event brought together prominent leaders from the political, diplomatic, academic, and business communities of Europe and China, as well as the China-based European diplomatic community and representatives of the European Union (including the member states) Chambers of Commerce in China, to reflect on five decades of cooperation and explore pathways for this vital relationship in a rapidly changing world.

Rounding out the month, CEIBS Associate Professor of Organisational Behaviour Mai Ke (Michael) was named among Poets & Quants’ 40 Under 40 MBA Professors for 2025.

In early June, the CEIBS 11th Europe Forum took place in Paris, bringing together business leaders, academics and thought leaders from France and China to discuss the current state of Sino-French business relations and paths towards more effective future collaboration.

In September, the CEIBS (Switzerland) Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) programme was officially accredited by the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD), making it the world’s first DBA programme to earn this distinction.

In October, CEIBS was thrilled to announce that its Global EMBA (GEMBA) programme had been ranked #2 in the world in the Financial Times 2025 Executive MBA Ranking, marking its sixth consecutive year among the global top two and its fourth consecutive year as the world’s highest-ranked stand-alone EMBA programme.

Finally, CEIBS hosted the CEIBS Alumni Reunion & 2025 Annual Forum in November on our Shanghai campus, bringing together an exceptional line-up of company founders and CEOs, Nobel Laureates, academics, and cultural figures to explore topics ranging from AI and life sciences to culture under the theme “Foresight Begins with Insight.”

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