Dear CEIBS colleagues, alumni, and friends,

Happy New Year!

As we enter 2026, our campuses around the world reflect the rich diversity of the global CEIBS community. Winter has settled over Shanghai and Beijing, while Shenzhen remains in bloom. Zurich rests quietly beneath the Alps, while Accra enjoys warm ocean breezes. Though separated by geography and seasons, we are united in welcoming the New Year. On behalf of China Europe International Business School (CEIBS), I extend my warmest New Year greetings and heartfelt gratitude to every member of the CEIBS family.

The year that has just passed has not been an easy one. Global turbulence, volatile markets, disruptive technologies, and intensifying competition have made the business environment increasingly complex. Over the past year, I have visited many enterprises and engaged in extensive discussions with business leaders within our alumni community. Many have shared how difficult it has become to make sound judgments and chart a clear course forward. As the rules of the game continue to change, courage and diligence alone are no longer sufficient; with new technologies and forces reshaping the business landscape, past experience is no longer enough to succeed.

To those within our community that feel concern for what comes next: we hear you. Global trade faces strong headwinds, geopolitical conflicts persist, and technological change is overturning long-held assumptions. Many of our alumni are business leaders and industry pioneers, carrying responsibility for their enterprises, teams, and families. We deeply understand and empathise with the confusion and anxiety that some of you may feel about the future.

At the same time, many of our conversations have revealed remarkable determination and optimism. Some companies, having lost ground in traditional markets, ventured into new territories, working client by client, country by country, to carve out new paths for growth. Others made bold and painful decisions, divesting businesses that once formed their foundation but had entered decline and committing to entirely new directions—rebuilding teams, developing new channels, and creating fresh growth engines. Still others doubled down on cutting-edge technologies, reinvigorating R&D and taking ownership of the technologies that will shape the future.

These stories have led us to reflect on a fundamental question: what do businesses, managers, and entrepreneurs truly need in such challenging times? Perhaps even more than additional information, sharper tools, or greater resources, what is most needed is the courage to set out again, the strength to let go of outdated assumptions and to move forward with confidence into an uncertain future.

Therefore, on the first day of the New Year, I offer this message to every member of the CEIBS community: in 2026, let us all have the courage to set out again with renewed purpose. Not because we are forced to do so, but because we see a wider world ahead. Not because our past successes were insufficient, but because we believe the future holds even greater promise.

CEIBS itself is navigating these same challenges with such resolve. Over the past year, our faculty have continued to produce world-class research and thought leadership. Our programme teams have refreshed curricula to reflect a rapidly changing world, and we have worked tirelessly to deepen integration between academia and industry. All of this is guided by a single purpose: to support and accompany our participants and alumni on a journey that feels more uncertain than ever before.

Our school achieved several significant academic milestones this year. The CEIBS Global EMBA programme ranked second worldwide in the Financial Times Global EMBA Rankings, marking its sixth consecutive year in the global top two. Our MBA programme remained number one in Asia for the ninth consecutive year. The Global Master in Management programme, launched in collaboration with ESCP, and the Part-time MBA programme were both introduced to great success. In addition, several CEIBS professors were once again recognised on Elsevier’s “Highly Cited Chinese Researchers” and “World’s Top 2% Scientists” lists. These achievements demonstrate how dedication and openness to innovation can effectively coexist in an era of rapid change.

In 2026, China will begin implementing its 15th Five-Year Plan, with far-reaching implications for economic development, technological progress, and the business environment. This year also marks the beginning of a new five-year strategic planning cycle for CEIBS, as we seek to keep pace with developments in China and across the globe. At this pivotal moment, we are keenly aware that while our era demands agility and openness, the fundamental mission of education remains unchanged. Looking ahead, CEIBS will continue to create and disseminate knowledge, embrace the frontiers of technology, and build an ever-stronger global network—lighting the way for future business leaders and contributing to global development and mutual understanding.

None of this would be possible without the dedication of CEIBS staff across the world, and so I extend my sincere gratitude to every colleague. Your commitment brings warmth to our classrooms, quality to our services, and vitality to our campuses. Every honour CEIBS receives is built upon your hard work. In the year ahead, let us continue to walk side by side and write a new chapter together.

I also thank our friends from all walks of life who continue to care for and support CEIBS. Your trust and encouragement form the foundation of our confidence and our success. In the New Year, we look forward to deeper exchanges and closer collaboration.

Finally, to our outstanding alumni around the world: please remember that when things get tough, you are not alone. Wherever you are, CEIBS is a harbour to which you can always return. When you are tired, come back and renew; when you are uncertain, come back and discuss. Here you will find mentors ready to listen and companions prepared to move forward with you. Together, we will find solutions to the problems we face—and together, we will set out again.

As one famous Chinese saying goes: “The world’s most extraordinary wonders are often found in the most perilous and distant places.” Great journeys are not smooth but filled with obstacles. The road ahead may remain challenging, but when we see the eagerness of our participants, hear the stories of alumni striving across the globe, and witness members of the CEIBS community pressing ahead through adversity, we are reminded that if we stick together, we can overcome any challenge.

In the year ahead, may you move forward with proficiency and purpose. And, as you set out once again, may you find contentment in the fact that you will never walk alone. CEIBS will be by your side every step of the way as we step into the next chapter of our shared journey. I wish each of you good health, great success, and a very Happy New Year.

CEIBS President

Wang Hong