The CUFE GEMBA Program Team Successfully Pays a Thematic Visit to Singapore Management University

In order to thoroughly implement the spirit of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee and the spirit of the National Education Conference, and actively promote the internationalization strategy of MBA education in the Central University of Finance and Economics, from September 28 to October 6, 2024, the MBA Education Center of the Central University of Finance and Economics successfully organized the implementation of the Singapore Management University visit plan of the Global Expansion MBA Program (hereinafter referred to as “the GEMBA Program”). The thematic visit team of the GEMBA Program was led by Zhu Fei, deputy director of the MBA Education Center and deputy dean of the Business School, and jointly organized by Yang Zhongying, deputy secretary of the Party Committee of the Business School, Zhao Tiebai, director of the MBA Teaching Management Department, Yao Xiao, an associate professor of the Strategy Department, Zeng Gongxing, a counselor of the Student Work Department, and other teachers. A total of 38 CUFE CBA students took part in the 9-day thematic visit to SMU Lee Kong Chian School of Business.

The GEMBA Program is an innovative brand program of the MBA Education Center of Central University of Finance and Economics (CUFE) to practice the internationalization strategy, with an aim to cultivate MBA students' globalization vision and cross-cultural skills through short-term thematic visit/exchange visit programs organized in cooperation with famous foreign universities, to promote their understanding and mastery of the international business rules, to discover the opportunities for international business development and to learn the excellent business management practices. The thematic visit program was established in cooperation with SMU Lee Kong Chian School of Business and focused on the theme of the GEMBA project. In the 9 days, 7 themed academic lectures/courses and 8 visits to Singaporean companies/institutions were organized. Through highly immersive learning, the program can help MBA students shape their global vision and deepen their understanding of the Singaporean society, economy and humanities, accordingly laying a foundation for the current and future internationalized business research and practice.

During this visit program, Deputy Director and Deputy Dean Zhu Fei also led a delegation to negotiate with Professor Shantanu Bhattacharya, deputy dean of SMU Lee Kong Chian School of Business, and his colleagues on future cooperation projects, laying a solid foundation for deepening the cooperation between the two sides. In addition, the delegation also visited the outstanding alumni and visiting teachers and students of the Central University of Finance and Economics (CUFE) in Singapore, and carried out in-depth exchanges with the alumni and the visiting teachers and students, and the alumni provided high-level resources and information support cordially.

The seven academic lectures of this Singapore Management University (SMU) Thematic Visiting Program were delivered by a number of full-time and adjunct professors from SMU Lee Kong Chian School of Business, and the topics included the history of economic development in Asia, the history of Singapore's economic and cultural development, cross-cultural communication, the application of AI, innovation-data analysis methodology, and employment opportunities in Singapore and Southeast Asia, and so on. Based on in-depth research in related fields or rich experience in business management in related industries, the professors fully stimulated the interest and thinking of MBA students through rich data and cases. The MBA students of the visit team indicated that they had a more internationalized perspective and a deeper understanding of related topics.

In addition to learning professional knowledge and receiving academic edification, this visiting program is also devoted to helping MBA students improve their global vision in management and have a deeper understanding of the development of local enterprises and Chinese-funded enterprises. The program team successively organized field visits to 8 enterprises/institutions and conducted in-depth discussions with the heads/representatives of enterprises/institutions. The eight companies/organizations visited include China Enterprises Association (Singapore), China Mobile Singapore Data Center, GKE Technology (Vege Magic Singapore-based company), Singapore's Waterworks, Bank of China Singapore Branch - Sino-Singapore Financial Museum, Singapore Stock Exchange, Wintech Nano-Technology Services Pte Ltd., and Flokk Furniture Singapore Experience Center. Due to the thematic courses/lectures of this visit as well as the rich and in-depth corporate visits, the MBA students gained a more concrete, vivid and in-depth understanding of Singapore’s business development and financial market, the overseas development of Chinese-funded enterprises and the history of the development of Sino-Singapore financial cooperation.

In addition to intensive study and corporate visits, the MBA students of this theme visit program also had a brand-new cross-cultural exchange experience. The teachers and students of the program team visited Singapore's landmark buildings, Singapore's Indian and Chinese residential areas, and the Singapore’s Peranakan Chinese Cultural Center to experience the customs of Singapore's multicultural integration. Besides, during the National Day, the CUFE Longma Running Group organized teachers and students of the program team to run together in the morning, measuring the exotic customs with running footsteps, and celebrating the motherland’s birthday in a unique way.

The Singapore Management University Visit of the GEMBA Program didn’t only cultivate the MBA students' globalization vision and cross-cultural skills, but also help the students understand and master the international business rules, discover the opportunities for international business development and learn the excellent business management practices. Furthermore, through this visit, the students truly experienced the multi-culture and development potential of Southeast Asia as well as the management enlightenment provided by Singapore's innovative management practices. The implementation of this visit program effectively promoted the internationalization process of the MBA student training in the Business School, laid a solid foundation for the subsequent implementation of the GEMBA program, and practically fulfilled the mission of the Business School, i.e. "contributing new management knowledge, cultivating leaders with global vision, innovative spirit, and social responsibility consciousness".