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The beauty of growing - BiMBA takes flight: NSD holds a grand ceremony to mark the start of the 2018 MBA Classes

Sep 27-2018   




On August 24, 2018, a ceremony to launch the start of the MBA programme at the National School of Development, Peking University (NSD) for the 2018 Classes was held at Sunlight Hall, Yingjie Exchange Center, Peking University. Prof. John Yang ,Co-Dean of BiMBA Business School at NSD, Dr . Xue Gu, Assistant Director of the PKU Office of International Relations), Dr. Baoqun Fan, Executive Associate Dean of BiMBA Business School), Prof. Xiaohui Lv (Associate Dean of BiMBA Business School), Prof. Dirk Buyens (Academic Dean and Director of the Open Executive Education Programmes at Vlerick Business School), Prof. Michael Manlangit (Programme Director (International Programmes) for UCL School of Management), Ms. Changyan Liu (Assistant Dean of NSD and Director of the MBA Centre), Dr. Xujie Liu, Assistant Dean of NSD and Administrative Director of the Institute of South-South Cooperation and Development (ISSCAD), some alumni representatives, as well as close to 200 new MBA students attended this ceremony.



Dr. Cathy Du, Assistant Dean and Director for Academic Affairs, BiMBA presided over the ceremony.


The MBA programme of the BiMBA Business School of NSD (BiMBA) was the first Sino-foreign joint MBA programme offered in Beijing with distinct international genes. It is also deeply rooted in the cultural heritage of PKU. NSD has attained the heights of a national think tank. Together with Vlerick Business School and UCL School of Management, BiMBA offers two excellent joint MBA programmes - PKU-Vlerick MBA and PKU-UCL MBA.





Prof. John Yang, Co-Dean of BiMBA, was the first to address the audience. Prof. Yang has witnessed the unfolding of BiMBA's “beauty of growing” since its founding in 1998. In his opinion, BiMBA has inherited the ‘PKU spirit of “freedom of thought and inclusiveness”, while NSD, leveraging its three-in-one advantage, namely “teaching, research and think tank”, has injected constant vitality into BiMBA. He expressed his hope that students will adhere to the BiMBA honor code, and become true BiMBA people of “Competence, Character, and Commitment.



An expert in strategic management, BiMBA Deputy Dean,Prof. Xiaohui Lv gave the new students guidance from a strategic perspective. She said that we are now in a VUCA era, full of Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity. As such, a new VUCA strategy must be adopted, that is, to have Vision, to increase Understanding, be full of Courage, and take decisive Action. The MBA programmes at BiMBA provide students with precisely this valuable opportunity.



Prof. Dirk Buyens, Academic Dean and Director of the Open Executive Education Programmes at Vlerick Business School, gave a presentation on the history and the current state of Vlerick Business School. He asked the students to ponder this question: how should I embark on my life as an MBA student? In Prof. Buyen’s opinion, studying in a business school is more than simply learning from professors; it is also about seeking advice from one’s fellow schoolmates. Pursuing an MBA is a process of introspection and self-guidance. Everyone has to find the correct new direction to re-chart his or her course.



As the UK representative of the PKU-UCL China-UK joint programme, Prof. Michael Manlangit, Programme Director (International Programmes) for UCL School of Management, gave an introduction to the new students on the history of UCL, and the brilliant achievements UCL has made in the field of innovation. NSD and UCL share a common teaching philosophy, i.e., the pursuit of excellence. UCL’s advantages in such areas as innovation and entrepreneurship will energize the MBA students in China through the joint programme.



Besides listening to the teachers, the students gained the wisdom of “prosperity” from experienced alumni.



Mr. Weixian Chen, an alumnus of BiMBA’s 2007 MBA Class addressed the new students on behalf of the alumni. Mr. Chen enrolled in BiMBA in 2007 and pursued a second degree - Master of Science in Global Finance - at NSD in 2010. He is attempting to start a business at this time and is already involved in creating a fashion designer brand. He began his career in the media industry. He worked in a foreign enterprise subsequently and was promoted to senior management. He said that BiMBA will become each person’s playground. Here, everyone will be able to explore the unknown, learn from renowned scholars, and get to know the highfliers from different industry backgrounds.



Ms. Hong Cui, the new student representative of the PKU-Vlerick 2018 Class, then spoke to the audience. She has held the position of general manager of Ypsomed China since 2014. In her speech, she said that she was delighted and proud to become a member of BiMBA. “Sharp tools make good work,” she said. In order to succeed in one’s career, one must systematically learn to manage and learn knowledge, and BiMBA provides precisely such a good learning platform. She hoped to be able to contribute more to society and become a better person through her MBA studies.



Mr. Christian JENSEN, the new student representative of the PKU-UCL 2018 Class, was a graduate of UCLA (USA), and has lived in China for years. He is the founding partner of CCA Ventures, which provides consulting service to destination marketing and luxury brands. His fluent Mandarin during his speech helped bridge the gap with his audience. He has a special fondness for the Chinese term “win-win” because he believed that a zero-sum-game mindset should not be used between countries and among classmates; rather, mutual benefits should be sought so that both parties end up winning. He was willing to share more to add colour to his future MBA life.



After the speeches, the school badge conferment ceremony drove the ceremony to a peak, as the professors of each school conferred the school badges to the new students; wearing the school badge meant becoming a PKU student officially.



What then does BiMBA demand of its new students? Dr. Cathy Du briefed the students on the forthcoming field courses, series of lectures, and other aspects of the rich study life, and at the same time explained the strict academic requirements. She expressed the hope that the students exercise strict self-discipline, and take their MBA study seriously and conscientiously, so as to usher in a beautiful period of “growing” in the splendid Langrun Garden.


The beauty of growing - BiMBA takes flight: NSD holds a grand ceremony to mark the start of the 2018 MBA Classes

Sep 27-2018   




On August 24, 2018, a ceremony to launch the start of the MBA programme at the National School of Development, Peking University (NSD) for the 2018 Classes was held at Sunlight Hall, Yingjie Exchange Center, Peking University. Prof. John Yang ,Co-Dean of BiMBA Business School at NSD, Dr . Xue Gu, Assistant Director of the PKU Office of International Relations), Dr. Baoqun Fan, Executive Associate Dean of BiMBA Business School), Prof. Xiaohui Lv (Associate Dean of BiMBA Business School), Prof. Dirk Buyens (Academic Dean and Director of the Open Executive Education Programmes at Vlerick Business School), Prof. Michael Manlangit (Programme Director (International Programmes) for UCL School of Management), Ms. Changyan Liu (Assistant Dean of NSD and Director of the MBA Centre), Dr. Xujie Liu, Assistant Dean of NSD and Administrative Director of the Institute of South-South Cooperation and Development (ISSCAD), some alumni representatives, as well as close to 200 new MBA students attended this ceremony.



Dr. Cathy Du, Assistant Dean and Director for Academic Affairs, BiMBA presided over the ceremony.


The MBA programme of the BiMBA Business School of NSD (BiMBA) was the first Sino-foreign joint MBA programme offered in Beijing with distinct international genes. It is also deeply rooted in the cultural heritage of PKU. NSD has attained the heights of a national think tank. Together with Vlerick Business School and UCL School of Management, BiMBA offers two excellent joint MBA programmes - PKU-Vlerick MBA and PKU-UCL MBA.





Prof. John Yang, Co-Dean of BiMBA, was the first to address the audience. Prof. Yang has witnessed the unfolding of BiMBA's “beauty of growing” since its founding in 1998. In his opinion, BiMBA has inherited the ‘PKU spirit of “freedom of thought and inclusiveness”, while NSD, leveraging its three-in-one advantage, namely “teaching, research and think tank”, has injected constant vitality into BiMBA. He expressed his hope that students will adhere to the BiMBA honor code, and become true BiMBA people of “Competence, Character, and Commitment.



An expert in strategic management, BiMBA Deputy Dean,Prof. Xiaohui Lv gave the new students guidance from a strategic perspective. She said that we are now in a VUCA era, full of Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity. As such, a new VUCA strategy must be adopted, that is, to have Vision, to increase Understanding, be full of Courage, and take decisive Action. The MBA programmes at BiMBA provide students with precisely this valuable opportunity.



Prof. Dirk Buyens, Academic Dean and Director of the Open Executive Education Programmes at Vlerick Business School, gave a presentation on the history and the current state of Vlerick Business School. He asked the students to ponder this question: how should I embark on my life as an MBA student? In Prof. Buyen’s opinion, studying in a business school is more than simply learning from professors; it is also about seeking advice from one’s fellow schoolmates. Pursuing an MBA is a process of introspection and self-guidance. Everyone has to find the correct new direction to re-chart his or her course.



As the UK representative of the PKU-UCL China-UK joint programme, Prof. Michael Manlangit, Programme Director (International Programmes) for UCL School of Management, gave an introduction to the new students on the history of UCL, and the brilliant achievements UCL has made in the field of innovation. NSD and UCL share a common teaching philosophy, i.e., the pursuit of excellence. UCL’s advantages in such areas as innovation and entrepreneurship will energize the MBA students in China through the joint programme.



Besides listening to the teachers, the students gained the wisdom of “prosperity” from experienced alumni.



Mr. Weixian Chen, an alumnus of BiMBA’s 2007 MBA Class addressed the new students on behalf of the alumni. Mr. Chen enrolled in BiMBA in 2007 and pursued a second degree - Master of Science in Global Finance - at NSD in 2010. He is attempting to start a business at this time and is already involved in creating a fashion designer brand. He began his career in the media industry. He worked in a foreign enterprise subsequently and was promoted to senior management. He said that BiMBA will become each person’s playground. Here, everyone will be able to explore the unknown, learn from renowned scholars, and get to know the highfliers from different industry backgrounds.



Ms. Hong Cui, the new student representative of the PKU-Vlerick 2018 Class, then spoke to the audience. She has held the position of general manager of Ypsomed China since 2014. In her speech, she said that she was delighted and proud to become a member of BiMBA. “Sharp tools make good work,” she said. In order to succeed in one’s career, one must systematically learn to manage and learn knowledge, and BiMBA provides precisely such a good learning platform. She hoped to be able to contribute more to society and become a better person through her MBA studies.



Mr. Christian JENSEN, the new student representative of the PKU-UCL 2018 Class, was a graduate of UCLA (USA), and has lived in China for years. He is the founding partner of CCA Ventures, which provides consulting service to destination marketing and luxury brands. His fluent Mandarin during his speech helped bridge the gap with his audience. He has a special fondness for the Chinese term “win-win” because he believed that a zero-sum-game mindset should not be used between countries and among classmates; rather, mutual benefits should be sought so that both parties end up winning. He was willing to share more to add colour to his future MBA life.



After the speeches, the school badge conferment ceremony drove the ceremony to a peak, as the professors of each school conferred the school badges to the new students; wearing the school badge meant becoming a PKU student officially.



What then does BiMBA demand of its new students? Dr. Cathy Du briefed the students on the forthcoming field courses, series of lectures, and other aspects of the rich study life, and at the same time explained the strict academic requirements. She expressed the hope that the students exercise strict self-discipline, and take their MBA study seriously and conscientiously, so as to usher in a beautiful period of “growing” in the splendid Langrun Garden.