Dear CEIBS Community,

Welcome to the second “From the Presidents” of 2020. Under the cloud of COVID-19, it seems that these letters are also a sign of the times. Over the past few months, the COVID-19 pandemic has engulfed the world, claiming the lives of hundreds of thousands of people and dealing a severe blow to the global economy and international order. Wherever you are at this moment, we hope you are safe and sound.

Since the beginning of the outbreak, many of you have been asking about new developments at the school. We hope this letter will give you some insightful news regarding school updates.

Class resumption and innovative operations

Because of COVID-19, we are not yet teaching all programmes in lecture halls. Nevertheless, thanks to the significant progress made in China’s epidemic prevention and control of the virus, CEIBS’ Shanghai campus welcomed back its first group of MBA2021 students in May. At present, MBA courses are being delivered both online and offline. Though other programmes have not yet restarted, waiting doesn’t mean stagnating. Relevant departments have provided students with access to abundant online academic resources; at the same time, they are working on plans for the restart of programmes and coming up with many innovative ways to resume classes.

Since February, the school has organised over 300 online events, including Cloud Sharings, Chief Cloud Forums, VC Seminars, FMBA Professors’ Talks, and HéTalks. These online events have covered a wide range of topics, such as macroeconomics, digital transformation, supply chain management, new retail and leadership, and have captured broad attention amongst multiple audiences. For example, the Hé Talk series has been livestreamed by multiple mainstream media, and has received up to 2 million page views per session. Although the epidemic has temporarily disrupted our community, it has also unexpectedly connected us with more people.

In June, we held a special MBA2020 Virtual Graduation Celebration, the first of its kind in CEIBS’ 26-year history. A total of 168 MBA graduates from 17 countries and regions worldwide gathered online to bid farewell to CEIBS. Though we were far apart, the graduation celebration brought us closer together.

Empowering alumni enterprises

The spread of COVID-19 has posed unprecedented challenges to enterprises around the globe. As an international business school, CEIBS has looked for ways to help alumni enterprises get through the crisis.

Since the beginning of the outbreak, we have integrated content related to enterprises' anti-epidemic efforts into our curriculums. CEIBS faculty members have delved into the impact of the epidemic on the macroeconomy and business operations in light of their respective academic interests. Amongst them, Professors Xu Bin, Juan Fernandez and Zhou Dongsheng, together with other team members, conducted a survey of more than 1,000 enterprises about the impact of the epidemic on business operations in China; Prof. Chen Jieping led the compilation of the 2020 CEIBS Corporate Social Responsibility White Paper, which provides a comprehensive framework for enterprises to understand CSR in this new context. A series of online lectures held by the school have also provided insights for alumni enterprises in their fight against the epidemic. In addition, in order to create more learning opportunities, the school has recently launched a new case study workshop for alumni, during which a CEIBS professor will analyse a successful business and its practices.

Being at the forefront of global management education, CEIBS will keep pace with the times in academic research and curriculums as always. We also welcome our alumni back to study at CEIBS and make it a platform for their lifelong learning.

Networking in the era of online education

In light of the current situation, we have moved a number of courses and activities to virtual settings. The convenience of online platforms has enabled us to include more participants, but going online does not mean impersonal communication. Instead, we are holding webinars and sharing sessions to ensure interaction amongst students and alumni.

In the past few months, we have organised internal sharing sessions for students to compare notes and keep in touch. For new cohorts who have yet to begin, we have also built a platform for learning, sharing and interaction. For example, at the end of June, the EMBA department held a virtual orientation for the EMBA2020 Spring cohort, helping them get to know the school’s culture and curriculum management regulations in advance, and how to quickly fit into the CEIBS community. Subsequently, Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen campuses held online sharing events for each class to promote in-depth exchange amongst students.

The CEIBS Alumni Association, regional chapters, and industry associations have also livestreamed various sharing activities, and the combination of online and offline communication has provided more opportunities for alumni to expand their networks.

As the global situation evolves, we will continue to adapt our plans and keep alumni and students engaged in multiple ways. We also encourage the CEIBS community to work together in taking on the challenges posed by the epidemic.

Exploring and deepening international exchange among alumni

To date, CEIBS has set up 64 regional alumni chapters around the world, including chapters in Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland and the UK, all of which are an integral part of the CEIBS community. Over the years, the school has started a series of strategic initiatives to strengthen the international alumni network. In 2019, as part of the school’s 25th anniversary, we hosted forums in cities including Boston, London, Munich and Brussels, and organised alumni gatherings in Singapore and Paris, in an effort to strengthen our international alumni network and enhance exchange amongst alumni around the world.

We are proud that since the COVID-19 outbreak, the CEIBS Alumni Association and regional chapters have maintained efficient communication with alumni worldwide and have contributed to the global fight against the epidemic. Once the epidemic finally subsides, we will further utilise our overseas campuses, and will offer courses and company visits to facilitate international exchange amongst alumni. In the future, one of our key priorities is to maintain intellectual interaction between Chinese and overseas alumni.

As the epidemic continues to spread, we have come to realise that living with the virus may be the new normal. The global economic recession triggered by the pandemic will lead to considerable uncertainties over the future. In the face of tremendous changes, we should see not only the imminent issues, but also the opportunities that come with it. It is our hope that all members of the CEIBS community will have the courage to think outside the box, and become pioneers and leaders in pushing forward in this era.

As many of the CEIBS faculty return to campus, there is a rejuvenated sense of hope. A breeze drifts through the serene corridors, the sun shines down on the white walls, and set against lush vegetation and trees, the CEIBS Pyramid casts a broad shadow over a mirror-like lake. However, the lack of the students’ presence is felt and we look forward to the day we can welcome you back.  May that day come earlier and everything continue to progress forward. 

CEIBS President  CEIBS President (European)

Prof. Li Mingjun         Prof. Dipak C. Jain       

Flashback to Spring/Summer 2020 at CEIBS

2020.4.11- 2020.7.15