CEIBS Global EMBA 2024 cohort group photo

November 24 saw a new beginning at CEIBS, as the 101 business leaders who make up the Global EMBA (GEMBA) 2024 class gathered at the school's Shanghai campus for an official opening ceremony and the start of their transformative academic journey.

Opening this exciting chapter in the GEMBA programme was its Director and CEIBS Associate Dean Bala Ramasamy. Welcoming the new participants, distinguished alumni and school leadership figures in attendance, Prof. Ramasamy was eager to highlight that one of the core strengths of the programme is its ability to bring students together in a manner that broadens their outlook on life and business while honing their professional capabilities.

CEIBS Professor of Economics, Associate Dean, and Director of GEMBA Programme Bala Ramasamy

“You’ve arrived here today as a group of 101 unique and diverse individuals from different corners of the world,” he said. “But by the time you leave, you will have transformed into one united GEMBA class, one GEMBA family. This journey will not only expand your horizons but also forge lifelong connections, lifelong friendships.”

Scaling New Heights, Seizing New Opportunities

CEIBS President Wang Hong delivered the official opening address, warmly welcoming the new cohort of students. She emphasised the significance of bringing together 101 students from 27 countries and regions across five continents, with 31% traveling from nearly 40 cities worldwide to study in China — a groundbreaking achievement in the history of the GEMBA programme.

This milestone, she said, underscores the core value of the CEIBS GEMBA curriculum: cultivating global perspectives and cross-cultural management skills, while providing talent to support multinational companies entering the Chinese market and Chinese enterprises expanding abroad.

President Wang also noted that this year marks the 30th anniversary of CEIBS; during this time the school has seen over 32,000 students graduate and become alumni.

CEIBS President Wang Hong

"Thirty years and beyond — this is a moment of pride and celebration," she stated. “Over the past three decades, CEIBS has upheld its commitment to ‘China Depth, Global Breadth’, driven by the principles of 'Conscientiousness, Innovation, and Excellence'. These efforts have resulted in remarkable achievements recognised by the global management education community, and have created a model of openness and collaboration in China's management education.”

This was followed by an address from CEIBS Vice President and Dean Frank Bournois, who took a moment to celebrate the historic milestone of CEIBS Global EMBA recently reaching the number one ranking worldwide in the Financial Times.

CEIBS Vice President and Dean Frank Bournois

“Of the 15,000 EMBA programmes available worldwide, we cherish being number one. Remember, this was the work of great teams in CEIBS, the faculty and support staff, but also the graduates who reflect the GEMBA offering in everything they do. So, challenge yourself, challenge your professors, test your limits, and I’ve no doubt that your GEMBA experience will propel you to greater heights,” Prof. Bournois explained.

Representing the CEIBS faculty, Professor of International Business and Strategy Shameen Prashantham gave a final speech, focusing on the benefits that the newly inducted students can expect to enjoy from their time at CEIBS.

CEIBS Professor of International Business and Strategy Shameen Prashantham

“GEMBA can enrich your life in three ways,” Professor Shameen revealed. “First, it enhances your perspective on China and the world through its unique offerings combining classroom input and real-world phenomena. Second, it enables you to engage in the co-creation of knowledge; your professional experiences benefit the whole class by bringing valuable new insights. Third, it provides opportunities for social interactions outside the classroom that build bonds within your cohort and the wider GEMBA community. So, prepare yourselves, the best is yet to come!”

Keep Your Eyes and Mind Open – Alumni Reflections

A long-held tradition of the GEMBA Opening Ceremony is to invite two alumni to share a small slice of their wisdom, having already walked the path that the new cohort is about to begin.

Professor Ramasamy first invited Annabelle Cao, GEMBA 2018 alumna and current Senior HR Vice President at Bosch Group, onto the stage. She encouraged the incoming students to be truly open, to look at the world with the curiosity of a newborn, and to challenge themselves constantly.

Senior HR Vice President at Bosch Group and GEMBA 2018 Alumna, Annabelle Cao

“Joining the CEIBS Global EMBA was one of the most important decisions of my life. This world-class education has given me cutting-edge business knowledge, strategic thinking, a global perspective, and leadership excellence. It did more than just accelerate my career - it’s a lifelong growth journey that broadens my horizons, elevates my thinking, strengthens my resilience, and supports me in becoming a more holistic person. The GEMBA journey has truly enriched my life!”

As the second alumni representative, Greg Harbin, COO of Dakoko and GEMBA 2017 alumus, then shared his experience of how the programme developed his entrepreneurial spirit while citing the fundamental importance of letting others share your learning journey.

COO of Dakoko and GEMBA 2017 Alumnus, Greg Harbin

“I had spent my entire life in corporate America working my way up the corporate chain. That's what I knew,” Mr. Harbin explained. “Joining GEMBA opened my eyes to other opportunities and other options. I left Apple after 10 years working there, because my classmate inspired me to want to build something of my own. We partnered on a small manufacturing company and six years later we have grown to three factories and 60 million in revenue.”

“The key point is that I didn't do this journey on my own. Quite the opposite, in fact – I couldn’t have made this journey alone. I did it through the support of the school, my amazing classmates, professors, and the alumni network.”

CEIBS Global EMBA 2024 Opening Ceremony

Wear the Pin, Raise the Flag – GEMBA is the Spirit of Cooperation

The closing elements of this year’s Opening Ceremony involved two novel additions to the traditional agenda.

First, CEIBS Vice President and Co-Dean Zhang Weijiong addressed the GEMBA 2024 cohort and asked them all to put on a pin that signifies the values of CEIBS and its ongoing mission to foster collaboration at every level.

CEIBS Vice President and Co-Dean Zhang Weijiong

“Cooperation, coordination, working together – this has been the true spirit of CEIBS from the very beginning 30 years ago,” Prof. Zhang said. “Building bridges between governments, between businesses, between people. And it works. Remember that as you work together for the next two years, and hopefully for many years afterwards.”

Finally, to mark the incredible personal and professional diversity of GEMBA 2024, Professor Bala invited 25 class members to come on stage to represent the 25 home nations that make up the new cohort. Together, the students raised their national flags, giving the audience a truly inspirational reminder that GEMBA is designed to bring the world together, promote mutual understanding, and forge better outcomes in business and across our shared global society.

We wish every member of the new cohort the very best of luck in their initial leadership module and the rest of their learning journey. Welcome to CEIBS, GEMBA 2024!