FOCUS



Home FOCUS

Opening Ceremony & Orientation for 2025 MBA of BiMBA

Sep 12-2025   



September 5, 2025, the Opening Ceremony and Orientation for the 2025 MBA Program of BiMBA Business School, Peking University National School of Development (NSD) was grandly held at NSD’s Chengze Garden.

 

In attendance were representatives from NSD’s faculty, faculty teams of NSD’s MBA Partner Schools—Belgium’s Vlerick Business School and the UK’s UCL School of Management, NSD administrative directors, MBA/EMBA alumni (also interviewers), 2025 MBA students and their family members.

 

The event was hosted by Mr. Yu Bin, Assistant Dean of BiMBA, Director of NSD’s MBA Center and Career Development Department.

 

Speech by NSD Dean

Professor Huang Yiping – Boya Distinguished Professor of Peking University, NSD Dean, Dean of the Institute of South-South Cooperation and Development, and Director of the Institute of Digital Finance – welcomed the new students to NSD. He noted that NSD is a high-impact think tank in China’s reform and development, while BiMBA’s mission is to nurture top entrepreneurs and business talents with world-class faculty. He assured students their choice to study here was right, and the faculty would give full support to their learning. He offered three expectations: Inherit NSD’s unique culture of "patriotism, confidence, seeking common ground while respecting differences, and harmony in diversity"; Integrate theory with practice to turn classroom knowledge into power for work and social progress; Leverage the school’s diverse student resources to learn from peers.

 

Speech by BiMBA Dean

Professor Huang Zhuo – NSD Professor, Deputy Dean of NSD and the Institute of South-South Cooperation and Development, and BiMBA Dean – gave three suggestions to the new students: Learn and grow in teams through collaboration; Think from multiple perspectives and make decisions using diverse models; Master learning methods and enhance lifelong learning ability.

 

Speeches by Partner School Representatives

Vlerick Business School

Professor Dirk Buyens, International Dean of BiMBA Program at Vlerick, introduced that the school was founded by Andre Baron Vlerick (former Belgian Minister of Economy, educator and banker). Its mission is to connect academic theory with corporate practice, focusing on inspiring students’ potential and practical skills rather than one-way knowledge transfer. He urged students to build in-depth connections with peers and apply what they learn, and encouraged them with Vlerick’s motto: "Live your dream; Learn continuously; Leap with confidence."

 

Professor Filip Roodhooft, Vlerick Partner, advised students to fully engage in the MBA journey, study hard, stay proactive in class, balance study, work and life, see challenges as growth, and apply their skills to realize dreams.

 

UCL School of Management

Professor Davide Ravasi, Dean of UCL School of Management, mentioned the school’s London campus has expanded teaching space and launched new programs, welcoming students to visit at any time. He encouraged students to stay focused amid global social, political and economic complexities, and reminded them to use AI wisely as a tool to boost their own abilities, rather than relying too much on it and losing the ability to think independently.

 

Professor Alan Parkinson, Deputy Director (Education) of UCL School of Management, urged students to make the most of the two-year program for self-transformation. He noted they would grow in strategic thinking, leadership, global perspective, communication, entrepreneurship, financial acumen and more, and emphasized lifelong learning.

 

Speeches by Representatives of New Students

Yin Ming (from Beijing Poly International Auction Co., Ltd.), representing the 2025 class of PKU-Vlerick MBA program, said being admitted to NSD MBA was her long-held dream. She believed NSD’s integration of Eastern wisdom and Western business expertise, cross-border faculty and practice focus would help solve problems in China’s art industry. She looked forward to growing with peers into leaders who have both the brain to think strategically and the heart to care deeply.

 

Li Ce (working on AI Visual Solution at TikTok in the music space), representing 2025 PKU-UCL MBA students, shared that amid AI-induced anxiety, he applied to NSD MBA after reading Professor Zhang Weiying’s view: "The future is not revealed, but co-created by humans." He believed NSD would help him develop future-creating abilities through learning and innovation, and that NSD’s diverse ecosystem would enhance his ability to build sincere connections with other people, which is humanity’s greatest advantage in the AI era.

 

University Badge Awarding Ceremony

The ceremony concluded with the university badge awarding. To the melody of Ode to Yan Garden, students took turns on stage to receive the Peking University badge – a symbol of honor – from faculty and alumni interviewers.

 

Alumni interviewers present included Guo Zhulei (MBA 2008), Liu Zhiqiang (EMBA 2004), Lu Rihua (EMBA 2006), Sun Xiaolei (MBA 2006), Xu Manqiu (MBA 2006) and Zhao Xingang (MBA 2002).

 

After the ceremony, all faculty and students took a group photo on Chengze Garden’s basketball court to commemorate the occasion.

 

 

Orientation

Right after the opening ceremony, the orientation began.

Professor Deng Ziliang – NSD Professor, Ministry of Education Changjiang Young Scholar, Peking University Young Boya Young Fellow and MBA Academic Director – redefined "MBA" as: Mastery in knowledge, experience, information and capabilities; Bridge between yourselves, and between you and all NSD-related people; Advancement of your study, career and life.

Ms. Fang Ying, Deputy Director of BiMBA’s Academic Affairs Department, emphasized academic norms and discipline. Ms. Jin Wei, Deputy Director of the Career Development Department, introduced career support resources. Finally, the two MBA programs explained teaching regulations and academic plans to the new students.

 

This opening ceremony and orientation marked the start of the 2025 MBA students’ journey at BiMBA, laying a solid foundation for their future growth.

 

 

Opening Ceremony & Orientation for 2025 MBA of BiMBA

Sep 12-2025   



September 5, 2025, the Opening Ceremony and Orientation for the 2025 MBA Program of BiMBA Business School, Peking University National School of Development (NSD) was grandly held at NSD’s Chengze Garden.

 

In attendance were representatives from NSD’s faculty, faculty teams of NSD’s MBA Partner Schools—Belgium’s Vlerick Business School and the UK’s UCL School of Management, NSD administrative directors, MBA/EMBA alumni (also interviewers), 2025 MBA students and their family members.

 

The event was hosted by Mr. Yu Bin, Assistant Dean of BiMBA, Director of NSD’s MBA Center and Career Development Department.

 

Speech by NSD Dean

Professor Huang Yiping – Boya Distinguished Professor of Peking University, NSD Dean, Dean of the Institute of South-South Cooperation and Development, and Director of the Institute of Digital Finance – welcomed the new students to NSD. He noted that NSD is a high-impact think tank in China’s reform and development, while BiMBA’s mission is to nurture top entrepreneurs and business talents with world-class faculty. He assured students their choice to study here was right, and the faculty would give full support to their learning. He offered three expectations: Inherit NSD’s unique culture of "patriotism, confidence, seeking common ground while respecting differences, and harmony in diversity"; Integrate theory with practice to turn classroom knowledge into power for work and social progress; Leverage the school’s diverse student resources to learn from peers.

 

Speech by BiMBA Dean

Professor Huang Zhuo – NSD Professor, Deputy Dean of NSD and the Institute of South-South Cooperation and Development, and BiMBA Dean – gave three suggestions to the new students: Learn and grow in teams through collaboration; Think from multiple perspectives and make decisions using diverse models; Master learning methods and enhance lifelong learning ability.

 

Speeches by Partner School Representatives

Vlerick Business School

Professor Dirk Buyens, International Dean of BiMBA Program at Vlerick, introduced that the school was founded by Andre Baron Vlerick (former Belgian Minister of Economy, educator and banker). Its mission is to connect academic theory with corporate practice, focusing on inspiring students’ potential and practical skills rather than one-way knowledge transfer. He urged students to build in-depth connections with peers and apply what they learn, and encouraged them with Vlerick’s motto: "Live your dream; Learn continuously; Leap with confidence."

 

Professor Filip Roodhooft, Vlerick Partner, advised students to fully engage in the MBA journey, study hard, stay proactive in class, balance study, work and life, see challenges as growth, and apply their skills to realize dreams.

 

UCL School of Management

Professor Davide Ravasi, Dean of UCL School of Management, mentioned the school’s London campus has expanded teaching space and launched new programs, welcoming students to visit at any time. He encouraged students to stay focused amid global social, political and economic complexities, and reminded them to use AI wisely as a tool to boost their own abilities, rather than relying too much on it and losing the ability to think independently.

 

Professor Alan Parkinson, Deputy Director (Education) of UCL School of Management, urged students to make the most of the two-year program for self-transformation. He noted they would grow in strategic thinking, leadership, global perspective, communication, entrepreneurship, financial acumen and more, and emphasized lifelong learning.

 

Speeches by Representatives of New Students

Yin Ming (from Beijing Poly International Auction Co., Ltd.), representing the 2025 class of PKU-Vlerick MBA program, said being admitted to NSD MBA was her long-held dream. She believed NSD’s integration of Eastern wisdom and Western business expertise, cross-border faculty and practice focus would help solve problems in China’s art industry. She looked forward to growing with peers into leaders who have both the brain to think strategically and the heart to care deeply.

 

Li Ce (working on AI Visual Solution at TikTok in the music space), representing 2025 PKU-UCL MBA students, shared that amid AI-induced anxiety, he applied to NSD MBA after reading Professor Zhang Weiying’s view: "The future is not revealed, but co-created by humans." He believed NSD would help him develop future-creating abilities through learning and innovation, and that NSD’s diverse ecosystem would enhance his ability to build sincere connections with other people, which is humanity’s greatest advantage in the AI era.

 

University Badge Awarding Ceremony

The ceremony concluded with the university badge awarding. To the melody of Ode to Yan Garden, students took turns on stage to receive the Peking University badge – a symbol of honor – from faculty and alumni interviewers.

 

Alumni interviewers present included Guo Zhulei (MBA 2008), Liu Zhiqiang (EMBA 2004), Lu Rihua (EMBA 2006), Sun Xiaolei (MBA 2006), Xu Manqiu (MBA 2006) and Zhao Xingang (MBA 2002).

 

After the ceremony, all faculty and students took a group photo on Chengze Garden’s basketball court to commemorate the occasion.

 

 

Orientation

Right after the opening ceremony, the orientation began.

Professor Deng Ziliang – NSD Professor, Ministry of Education Changjiang Young Scholar, Peking University Young Boya Young Fellow and MBA Academic Director – redefined "MBA" as: Mastery in knowledge, experience, information and capabilities; Bridge between yourselves, and between you and all NSD-related people; Advancement of your study, career and life.

Ms. Fang Ying, Deputy Director of BiMBA’s Academic Affairs Department, emphasized academic norms and discipline. Ms. Jin Wei, Deputy Director of the Career Development Department, introduced career support resources. Finally, the two MBA programs explained teaching regulations and academic plans to the new students.

 

This opening ceremony and orientation marked the start of the 2025 MBA students’ journey at BiMBA, laying a solid foundation for their future growth.