July 27, 2019. Manila – More than 120 CEIBS alumni, international scholars, business leaders and entrepreneurs gathered in Manila today for an exclusive CEIBS Master Class and panel discussion on the theme of China’s New Era: What It Means for the Philippines.

CEIBS President (European) Dipak Jain set the tone for the event by invoking the value of service-oriented enrichment in global leadership. In his talk, Prof. Jain drew a number of parallels between the evolution of global business and that of management education, identifying the ultimate goal of both as “the turning of success into significance.” The key to achieving significance, he emphasised, is “humanising business by recognising that people are the only source of differentiation and value creation.”

CEIBS Associate Dean (Research) and Professor of Economics and Finance Xu Bin was the keynote speaker for the event. He gave an in-depth analysis of China’s new era from a critical perspective, looking at its global ambitions and changing economic structure. With the prospects of Sino-US relations, he noted there exist substantial opportunities for Filipino businesses in today’s rapidly developing landscape, particularly in the service sector.  

Following Prof. Xu’s lecture, an MoU was signed between CEIBS and Xavier School affirming both institutions’ commitment to increasing cooperation with one another. 

The event concluded with a panel discussion and Q&A featuring Prof. Jain and Prof. Xu, along with Emerging Asia Capital Partners Managing Director Karl Leung; University of Asia and the Pacific Professor Dr. Bernardo Malvar Villegas; Senior Advisor to the Governments of the Philippines, Nigeria, Jordan and Brazil Michael Goldsmith; and One World Filter Director & CEO Tony Erickson. The panellists offered advice on how businesses may position themselves in the current economic climate, through actions such as implementing relevant and efficient objectives. The Philippines holds incredible potential due to the key factors of being an English-speaking country with beautiful islands and good services, Dr. Villegas remarked with resounding support from other panellists.