International Business School Suzhou at XJTLU celebrates 10 years with alumni event

SUZHOU, China, Sept. 18, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- International Business School Suzhou (IBSS) at Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University kicked off its 10^th anniversary year with an alumni reunion on 9 September.

More than 300 alumni, academic staff, and industry leaders gathered to celebrate the school's successes, including rising to be the largest English-language business school in China and earning the "Triple Crown" of accreditations (AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA) that only one percent of business schools worldwide have achieved.

An award ceremony recognised three alumni who have made exceptional contributions to business, society and academia:

• Shaanxi province entrepreneur and investor Boyue Xing, who earned a BA in Business Administration in 2018, was named 2023 IBSS Alumni of the Year for his business leadership and achievements.
• HR leader Sirena Bai, who earned an International MBA in 2021, received the IBSS Alumni Outstanding Contribution Award for promoting collaborations between IBSS and AstraZeneca.
• Lenda Huo of Amoy Diagnostics, International MBA (2018), received the IMBA Best Ambassador Award for professionally mentoring current IMBA students and supporting the programme's recruitment efforts.

The event included discussions led by panels of business and academic experts on digital business transformation, advancing gender diversity on corporate boards and in leadership, Generation Z in the workplace, and adapting and thriving in a global economy.

In addition, industry executives and leaders discussed trends in finance, entrepreneurship, manufacturing, healthcare, sustainability, and cross-industry exchange.

Alumni who attended the event described how studying at IBSS impacted them.

2019 International MBA graduate Kirsten Johnston is founder and CEO of branding agency JWDK, which she started in London and expanded to Shanghai and Hong Kong.

In addition to boosting her accounting and finance control skills, IBSS gave her insights, she said: "As a foreigner, it was important to me to learn more about business in China and the cultural differences to how we do things in the UK."

IBSS Alumni of the Year Award-winner Xing said that an entrepreneurship module left a deep impression on him.

"It taught us that as entrepreneurs, we have a responsibility to society and should consider how our businesses can contribute beyond just pursuing profits," he said.

"Having an entrepreneurial spirit is vital in business, and investing in social welfare can yield unexpected benefits for the company."