January 27, 2020. Shanghai – The Financial Times today released its annual global MBA ranking for 2020 and the China Europe International Business School’s MBA programme has once again ranked fifth in the world and first in Asia. In November, CEIBS’ Global EMBA programme was also ranked fifth in the world for the second consecutive year in the Financial Times’ ranking. 

CEIBS’ MBA programme now stands alongside those at renowned institutes such as Harvard, Wharton, Stanford, and INSEAD, further cementing CEIBS’ position as one of the world’s top business schools. Since 2018, the CEIBS MBA programme has been ranked amongst the top ten in the world and it has now been ranked first in Asia for three consecutive years. The programme has also been ranked first in Asia in two consecutive rankings published by both Forbes and Bloomberg Businessweek.

“With the rise of the Asian economy and the continued development of the Chinese economy, the focus of global management education is now shifting east to China,” CEIBS President Li Mingjun pointed out. “The CEIBS MBA programme has been ranked fifth in the world by the Financial Times, where it now sits in the company of some of the world’s most established business schools. In step with China’s economic transformation and development, we will continue to make a positive contribution by creating and sharing knowledge about Chinese business practices with the world.”

The Financial Times ranking is one of the world’s most authoritative business school rankings, and is widely recognised for its rigorous evaluation criteria and comprehensive evaluation indicators. The ranking takes into consideration a variety of factors, including career progress, curriculum diversity, and research capabilities. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has also been included in the evaluation criteria since 2019.

CEIBS MBA graduates have now achieved an average salary increase of 187% within three years after graduation, placing the school first in that category amongst those in the Financial Times ranking’s overall top ten. According to the most recent data, the job offer acceptance rate of the 2019 graduation class of CEIBS MBA students within three months of graduation has reached a ten-year record of 94.3%. At the same time, 80.1% of graduates successfully achieved a career switch – changing their function, industry, or both.

“That the CEIBS MBA and Global EMBA programmes have now ranked fifth in the world for two consecutive years reflects the school’s achievements in terms of its globalisation strategy and consistent level of excellence,” CEIBS Vice President and Dean Ding Yuan said. “The quality of these programmes further strengthens CEIBS’ position as a leader in global management education. As a business school with roots in China, we will strive not only to be China’s leading business school, but also to be the world’s top expert in Chinese management education and one of the world’s most respected international business schools.”

In 2019, CEIBS improved in terms of indicators such as international students, international course experience, and international mobility, rising nine, two, and two places in each category, respectively.

In order to attract a diversity of international students, CEIBS has organised an annual pre-MBA summer boot camp for eight consecutive years. CEIBS also co-operates with 40 other top business schools from around the world to facilitate international exchange programmes and offer overseas electives in places such as the US, Japan, Germany, Switzerland, Israel, Malaysia and Ghana, thereby further enriching students’ learning experience.

In terms of the recently-added CSR indicator, CEIBS performed well in the current Financial Times MBA ranking, moving up 18 spots from last year’s position to 27. CEIBS is the first business school on the Chinese mainland to make CSR a compulsory part of its curriculum. In addition, the school hosts a series of CSR-related activities every year aimed at inspiring its students and alumni to elevate social responsibility to the level of corporate development strategy.

The Financial Times’ ranking also attests to the strength of CEIBS in the area of teaching and research. Since 2014, CEIBS has ranked first in the category of Business, Management & Accounting in Elsevier’s annual list of Most Cited Chinese Researchers and its professors now actively integrate CSR into core courses and academic research. In 2017, CEIBS integrated theory and practice to create the Real Situation Learning Method™ (RSLM™), offering students the chance to visit firms featured in classroom case studies, and to communicate face-to-face with company executives.

In order to enrich students’ learning experience, the school has continuously re-invented and optimised its MBA curriculum. International exchange programmes and overseas elective modules provide students with different perspectives on the global economy, while China-focused modules incorporate real-world teaching, blending classroom discussions with field observations to give students a deeper understanding of topics such as the globalisation of Chinese companies, Chinese-style innovation, and family business heritage. The school’s MBA programme incorporates more than 20 elective courses around digitalisation, innovation and other related topics, and the CEIBS eLab offers various programmes and activities to help students launch their own entrepreneurial projects.

“CEIBS’ MBA is the youngest MBA programme to make the top ten list,” CEIBS Associate Dean and MBA Programme Director Juan Antonio Fernandez said. “In the future, two forces will continue to propel the school forwards. Firstly, those in the CEIBS community will continue to demand ‘conscientiousness, innovation and excellence’, not only from each other, but also in the pursuit of everything they do. Secondly, China provides us with the world’s most dynamic location and one that will continue to challenge our students and graduates to reach their greatest potential."