October 12, 2026 | Shanghai – The Financial Times (FT) today published its 2026 ranking of the world’s top 100 Executive MBA (EMBA) programmes, with the Global EMBA programme at China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) taking second place worldwide and first place on the Chinese mainland. This marks the seventh consecutive year the programme has ranked among the world’s top two, making it the only EMBA programme globally to have maintained a top two position every year since 2020.

Co-founded by the Chinese government and the European Union in 1994, CEIBS has achieved this distinction amid profound shifts in the global economy, intensifying competition in management education, and frequent changes in business school rankings. CEIBS Global EMBA’s sustained performance is a powerful testament to the continued quality of the programme and the school’s standing in international management education.

The 2026 ranking also marks the fifth consecutive year that the CEIBS Global EMBA has ranked first among EMBA programmes run by a single institution. While many programmes in the ranking are delivered jointly by two or more leading business schools, CEIBS has continued to distinguish itself through the strength of its independently run programme.

Consistent Quality & Commitment to Excellence

The FT ranking is widely regarded as one of the leading benchmarks in global management education. Its assessment of EMBA programmes covers three broad areas — career progression, diversity, and research, ESG, and carbon footprint — across 17 individual criteria. Sustained success in the rankings requires not only overall strength but also balanced performance across multiple dimensions.

This year, the CEIBS Global EMBA performed particularly well in terms of participants’ career progression, ranking fourth worldwide for Aims Achieved, fifth for Current Salary, sixth for Salary Increase, seventh for Alumni Network, and eighth for Work Experience.

Together, these results highlight the programme’s balanced strengths in career development, international outlook and academic excellence, as well as its powerful contribution to participants’ professional growth and networks.

A Global Learning Journey Across Five Continents, 
Bridging China and the World

For international business leaders, China is an essential market to understand, yet one that requires cultural insight and first-hand experience to navigate successfully. At the same time, as Chinese companies continue to expand overseas, their success increasingly depends not only on identifying market opportunities, but also on understanding different cultures, managing international teams and building long-term partnerships in an increasingly complex global business environment.

To address these realities, the CEIBS Global EMBA continues to expand its global learning network, with overseas modules spanning more than 20 destinations across five continents and exchange partnerships with nine leading business schools in 10 countries. These experiences immerse participants in diverse markets, helping them understand how different economies operate and apply first-hand insights to their own management practice.

For those seeking a deeper understanding of China, the CEIBS Global EMBA offers a gateway to the Chinese market. For those looking to build stronger connections between China and the world, it provides a distinctive platform for international learning and collaboration.

A Diverse Global Cohort, Connecting Continents

Drawing on its position at the intersection of China, Europe and the wider world, the CEIBS Global EMBA attracts participants from more than 20 countries and regions. More than 35% of the latest cohort live and work outside China, including executives from markets as far afield as North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia, who regularly travel to Shanghai for classes. Their commitment reflects not only the importance of understanding China’s business landscape, but also the growing need for leaders who can navigate markets, cultures and organisations across borders.

The programme’s international community also provides the foundation for a global alumni network that extends well beyond the classroom. By connecting international business leaders with the experience and insights of their Chinese peers, CEIBS fosters lasting relationships, cross-cultural understanding and opportunities for collaboration.

An Outstanding Faculty Dedicated to Academic Excellence

CEIBS’ consistent performance in the FT rankings over seven consecutive years also reflects its commitment to academic excellence. Delivering meaningful outcomes for participants, both professionally and personally, requires outstanding teaching. Making a lasting contribution beyond the classroom, by generating insights that help businesses navigate a rapidly changing environment, requires research of the highest calibre. At CEIBS, both are central to the school’s approach.

The school has more than 120 professors from around the world, 98% of whom have studied or worked outside China. Faculty members regularly publish in leading academic journals, including those featured in the FT50 list, while CEIBS case studies are used in classrooms at more than 1,200 institutions across over 80 countries. Nine faculty members were named on the World’s Top 2% Scientists 2026 list, while 18 were recognised in Elsevier’s 2025 list of China’s Most Cited Researchers. In the Business Administration category of the latter list, CEIBS has had more scholars included than any other institution in mainland China for six consecutive years.

Responding to Business Change and Creating Long-Term Value

Ultimately, the value of the CEIBS Global EMBA lies in its ability to address the evolving challenges facing business leaders today. From technological advances reshaping industries to shifting global business dynamics and the growing complexity of international expansion, the demands placed on leaders are changing.

The programme responds by continually updating its curriculum and expanding its global learning opportunities, keeping classroom learning closely connected to business practice. For participants, the value of learning goes beyond acquiring new knowledge: it means broadening perspectives, sharpening judgement and putting new insights into practice.

Founded in 1995, the CEIBS Global EMBA was the first English-language EMBA programme launched on the Chinese mainland. For more than three decades, it has maintained its unique identity as an international learning journey anchored in China, bringing global management thinking into dialogue with Chinese business practice and developing leaders with an international outlook and a strong sense of social responsibility.

Looking ahead, the CEIBS Global EMBA will continue to bring together leaders from different markets, industries and backgrounds to learn from one another and challenge their assumptions. In a world where business opportunities and challenges increasingly cross borders, the programme will remain committed to helping leaders make better-informed decisions, build meaningful international relationships and navigate complexity with confidence.

About CEIBS Global EMBA (GEMBA)

CEIBS Global EMBA is a part-time, English-language Executive MBA programme that bridges China and the world. It develops responsible global business leaders through a curriculum that balances China Depth and Global Breadth with cutting-edge Innovation Frontiers, preparing them to lead in an era of rapid change. The programme is a transformational self-development journey, allowing each student to step outside their everyday work environment and see business challenges from a whole new perspective. With modules available in more than 20 destinations worldwide, a diverse student body from over 20 countries and regions, and two integrated tracks running between China, Europe and Africa, CEIBS Global EMBA provides unparalleled opportunities for participants to expand their global network, while plugging into China's largest business school alumni network and to take their career and personal development to the next level. Learn more here.

About CEIBS

CEIBS was co-founded by the Chinese government and European Union (EU) in 1994, with Shanghai Jiao Tong University and the EFMD serving as its executive partners. The school has campuses in Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Accra (Ghana), and Zurich (Switzerland).

CEIBS is committed to educating responsible leaders versed in “China Depth, Global Breadth” and serves as an important platform for exchange and co-operation between China, Europe and the world.

The school offers MBA, Part-time MBA, Finance MBA, Global MiM (Switzerland), EMBA, Global EMBA, Hospitality EMBA, DBA (Switzerland), PhD, and Executive Education programmes. It has placed in the top tier of the Financial Times’ ranking of global MBA programmes for nine consecutive years; its Global EMBA has ranked in the top two of its global ranking of EMBA programmes for seven consecutive years.

CEIBS has more than 35,000 alumni from 92 countries and regions around the world and has provided management training for more than 280,000 executives worldwide.