5 June 2007

INSEAD Press Release

INSEAD (Singapore and Fontainebleau, France), Tsinghua University (Beijing, China), are pleased to announce the official launch this week, of their new dual degree Executive MBA programme.

The programme kicks off on Friday 8 June with an official opening ceremony at Tsinghua University in Beijing which will be attended by representatives from Tsinghua and INSEAD as well as the participants and their families.

Explaining INSEAD’s motivations for launching an Executive MBA programme in collaboration with a top Chinese University, Mr. Frank Brown, Dean of INSEAD said, “The new programme with Tsinghua exemplifies INSEAD’s mission to develop transcultural leaders, fluent in all aspects of the global market place. It provides executives from East and West with a unique opportunity to learn, to share best practices and hone their international leadership skills.”

He continued, “As Chinese companies continue to grow internationally, they will need leaders with an understanding of the marketplace outside the nation’s borders. Conversely, the growing interest of multinational companies in the Chinese market will result in demand for leaders with a firm grasp of the nuances and practises specific to Chinese businesses. “

“Our collaboration will set the foundation for a dynamic exchange between the faculty and students of both institutions,” said Professor Li Liao, Associate Dean of the School of Economics and Management, Tsinghua University. “Tsinghua’s emergence as a hotbed for young Chinese entrepreneurs and INSEAD’s longstanding reputation for developing international executives will create a partnership that provides programme participants with a unique perspective on the global marketplace.”

The first intake is a group of 45 experienced executives representing 17 different nationalities, of whom 33% are women. The participants have 11 years business experience on average. One third is from Europe, another third from greater China and the final third from the rest of Asia and the Americas.

Professor Charles Galunic, Dean of the INSEAD Executive MBA programme said, “We are delighted with the quality of the first intake. It confirms Tsinghua and INSEAD’s leadership positions in business education. The participants are CEOs, general managers, business owners and remarkable young leaders in multinational companies. They come from all over Asia Pacific, Europe and the Americas.”

Mr Nathan Pang, CEO of Sandoz China, is among the ‘pioneers’ in the first intake. He said, “I am excited to be part of this first intake. The combination of INSEAD’s global expertise and Tsinghua’s local knowledge attracted me to this programme. I look forward to an outstanding education and exchange with peers from across the globe. In addition, I will graduate with a degree from each of these two prestigious institutions and will become part of their respective alumni networks. This alone would make it worth the investment.”

“We all work in a changing and challenging era, characterised by accelerated globalisation and rapid technological development,” said Professor Jingyi Qian, Dean of the School of Economics and Management, Tsinghua University. “Global leaders need more than one perspective. With a particular Asian focus, the Tsinghua-INSEAD Executive MBA will bring future business leaders up-to-speed with the traits of a changed economic world order where China is a common factor in many international economic endeavours. During the programme, participants shall encounter numerous fresh ideas from both Tsinghua and INSEAD.”

The first module of the 18-months Tsinghua-INSEAD programme runs from 8 to 13 June and focuses on organizational dynamics, managing teams and managing change. Graduation will take place in January 2009.