Meet The CEIBS MBA Class Of 2022

CEIBS MBA students celebrating another Top 10 ranking with the Financial Times

5 REASONS TO CONSIDER CEIBS

What brings high potential professionals to CEIBS? Here are what MBA students had to say, about the school’s value proposition.

1) eLab: “The most intriguing activity that led me to choose this business school has to be Entrepreneurship Lab (eLab) and its incubation program. I am a big fan of China’s entrepreneurial spirit and its contribution to the exponential growth of the Chinese economy in recent decades. The eLab is a platform that encourages this spirit and incubates innovative ideas. I feel privileged to be a part of the CEIBS eLab core team as it serves one of my critical objectives of joining CEIBS – getting to know the Chinese entrepreneurial ecosystem. It’s of great importance to me because I see myself establishing a venture of my own in a couple of years and I see great value in getting exposure to economies such as China and India.”
Priyanka Menon (’22)

“In terms of activities, the CEIBS eLab is the most valuable one in my opinion. It connects students with alumni from different programs and holds intensive sharing discussions and private board meetings on a regular basis every month. At the same time, there are many opportunities to get in touch with high-quality entrepreneurial projects. With the eLab, I can leverage valuable perspective from elites in different fields and build up a diversified high-level network.”
Eric Duan (’22)

2) China Immersion: “I am attracted to the opportunity to deepen my understanding of Chinese history, economic development, and the social and political environment through access to China-specific business cases written by CEIBS staff and professors. This is one of the main reasons I chose to apply to CEIBS.”
Dong Chen (’22)

Teddy meets a new friend

“China Depth, Global Breadth.” That is what attracted me to CEIBS the most. CEIBS is one of the few (and definitely the best) MBA taught in English in China, so naturally it attracts talented people from all over the world with diverse backgrounds. Professors here at CEIBS value class participation very much and this interactive way of teaching inspires everyone to contribute their past experience from different cultures, geographies, and industries. Moreover, CEIBS offers many China-related case studies, courses, an Integrated China Strategy Project (ICSP) and China modules, which gives us a better understanding of the local business ecosystem.”
Lily Lyu (’21)

“CEIBS provided me with all the support I required to move to China. The Mandarin classes, alumni network, the opportunity to consult for a local company, and the Career Development Center have brought me closer to my end goal.”
Yann Biehler (’20)

3) ICSP: “Integrated China Strategy Project (ICSP) was the key part that led me to choose CEIBS. The strength of CEIBS is that they allow us to not only to study and accumulate academic knowledge about business, but also to actually connect with companies in China and engage in consulting projects.”
Ken Shimizu (’22)

4) Exchange Programs: “The opportunity to be an exchange student with schools such as INSEAD, Wharton, LBS, and HEC also helped me to “pull the trigger.” While being an exchange student, you also have the opportunity to benefit from the career services of the partner school, for a lifetime. This constitutes a huge advantage for me.”
Antoine Millot (’22)

CEIBS Campus in Shanghai

5) Cultural Nights: “My favorite tradition was the Cultural Nights that classmates organized. Events such as Korean Night, Taiwan Night, Indian Night, and Japanese Night reflected the diversity of our class. We tasted Taiwanese food, participated in Indian dances, watched Japanese sumo wrestling, and sang K-pop while eating fried chicken. I also had the opportunity to contribute to this by helping to organize a German Night. I have never felt more German than when I was at the supermarket buying tons of ground pork and potatoes – and barely ever felt more exhausted than when we were at the kitchen turning these ingredients into delicious potato salad and frikadellen.”
Andreas Glaefke, CEIBS (’20)

3 WAYS TO SET YOURSELF APART AS AN APPLICANT

What does CEIBS seek in applicants? What are some ways that applicants can differentiate themselves during the process. Here is some advice from CEIBS alumni:

1) Why China: “Applicants should fully understand how to position the MBA in their life, given that the MBA could be utilized as a turning point in their career, in terms of both industry and location. In particular, CEIBS can provide more value for global young professionals who have a commitment to China, because of its location (Shanghai) and curriculum (its China depth, again). So, if an applicant hopes to get into CEIBS, I recommend that they should think about why China, in addition to why an MBA and why CEIBS.”
Shoko Ogasawara (’20)

2) Embrace Uncertainty: “I would tell any applicant two things. First, before heading to China, make sure you are comfortable in ambiguous, uncertain situations. In China, you will be exposed to multiple situations and countless occurrences when you won’t be able to know what the outcome may be or not have a direct answer to your questions. Second, know how CEIBS will help you position yourself compared to other MBA students, and have a plan of how you will transition to that desired position after the MBA. Make this a centerpiece of your application and later remember it during your MBA journey at CEIBS. Your initial plan may change. However, your goal must always be to position yourself to have a unique value proposition.”
Pablo Che Leon Sarmiento (’19)

3) GMATs Aren’t Everything: ”For international students: Be curious about China’s burgeoning role in the new global order and be open-minded to immerse yourself into the fascinating Chinese culture. For Chinese students: GMAT and test scores are just one aspect of the application. Also focus on having a holistic application where it is clear what you a bringing to the table.”
Richard Higgs (’18)

What led the Class of 2022 to pursue an MBA? What did they do during the application process to determine the best school fit for them?  Find answers to these questions and more by clicking on the in-depth profiles of current CEIBS MBA students below.

MBA Student Hometown Undergraduate Alma Mater Last Employer
Sila Beste Tekin Istanbul, Turkey Istanbul Kültür University KOKAISTUDIOS
Dong Chen Wenzhou, China Columbia University Panhou Capital
Eric Duan Shenzhen, China Chu-kochen Honors College of Zhejiang University Dive+
Alan LIU Nanjing, China Nanyang Technological University HNA Group
Lily Lyu Chengdu, China University of Oxford Oaklins HFG China
Antoine Millot Paris, France Sciences Po, Toulouse Sotexpa Qualidis Textile India
Priyanka Menon Mumbai, India University of Pune Purplle.com
Priyesh Patel London, UK University College London Delphi Technologies
Ken Shimizu Tokyo, Japan Waseda University Toyota Motor Corporation
Iris Yeqing LU Shanghai, China New York University, Stern School of Business Play For Dream, Inc.