SHANGHAI, Sept. 26, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Vice President for Administration at Egret Pharma Sunny Wu is not easily rattled, but when she got her first look at the assignment list for the China Europe International Business School's (CEIBS) Global EMBA programme, she was a bit worried. "I quickly realised that this programme is no trifling matter," she says. Starting today, Wu will study for 20 months alongside peers from Europe, Africa and China.
The part-time course brings participants together for eight days every two months and only means a total of 60 days away from the office. Its academic rigour, while a challenge, is part of what makes it so attractive for Wu. A few days before the class began, she and 28 other classmates had already been assigned piles of case studies and other assignments as part of the pre-module course. "From the very beginning, we all have the shared understanding that in order to successfully complete the various modules ahead we must do a lot of reading," she says. "I do enjoy CEIBS' academic atmosphere."
The Zurich class is the second cohort of the English-language-taught CEIBS GEMBA. Its curriculum is identical to the one offered to participants in Shanghai, ranked among the Financial Times Top 20 for the last six years, where the latest class began on September 4. The Zurich class gets underway with an opening module at the Lorange Institute of Business, Zurich, a Member of the CEIBS Group. As the programme progresses, participants can just as easily opt to attend a class in Shanghai or Accra, or do any of the carefully selected electives available in major cities around the world. Wu's goal for doing the course is clear. "I am eager to acquire the skills needed to smoothly handle business on a global level," she says. "Nowadays a lot of Chinese companies, including the one I work for, are focused on taking their businesses global for various reasons such as market expansion and resource integration."
In addition to China, Egret Pharma operates in the US, the UK, France, Switzerland, India and Japan. Despite her rich knowledge and more than ten years' experience in the pharmaceutical industry, Wu believes there is still room for improvement, especially with internationalisation and globalisation becoming mainstream in China. "My company is growing faster and faster, but I lack experience in operating a really big company. I need to be prepared for handling the tougher tasks ahead," she says. Based in Shanghai for work, she is also looking forward to classes – and the potential for business opportunities – in other parts of the world.
Asked about her expectations of the programme, Wu refers to two Chinese sayings, which loosely translate to 'One who truly knows both his enemy and himself can win every battle', and, 'A confidant afar makes a distant land near'. Wu explains, "My goal is to obtain knowledge of global business rules and practices, in order to win my 'battles'. Also, I hope I can knit together a high-quality network of friends from among my peers, to bring business opportunities that now are far away closer to me."
About CEIBS
Headquartered at its largest campus in Shanghai, China Europe International Business School is mainland China's leading business school, with three programmes globally ranked by the Financial Times. CEIBS offers MBA, Finance MBA, Executive MBA, Executive Education and PhD programmes. Established in 1994 as a non-profit joint venture between the Chinese and European governments, CEIBS also has campuses in China's political capital, Beijing, and Zurich in the heart of Europe. CEIBS also offers programmes from its facilities in Shenzhen to China's south and Accra in Ghana.
For more information on the CEIBS GEMBA Programme click here
