CEIBS MBAs – courtesy photo
Business education is at a crossroads. Technological disruption, massive market shifts, evolving student expectations, and geopolitical furor have combined to create a moment that is tenuous for many business schools.
The moment, for many prospective students, boils down to one thing: value reassessment. Is an MBA worth it? And in an increasingly interconnected — and increasingly contentious — world, where is the best place to get a business education?
China Europe International Business School is positioned to be where a generation of leaders of the new era emerges, says Lingling Zhang. Economic tides are shifting. Tech is reshaping entire industries. Zhang, associate dean and an associate professor of marketing at the Shanghai-based B-school, says CEIBS is redefining the traditional MBA, bridging East and West, and preparing future leaders to navigate a complex, interconnected world.
THE ‘BRIDGE’ BETWEEN CHINA & THE GLOBAL BUSINESS COMMUNITY
CEIBS Associate Dean Lingling Zhang: “We must continue to create unique value for our students and for the companies that employ them”
Artificial intelligence, automation, and data analytics are transforming industries, requiring new skill sets. Employers increasingly value adaptability and interdisciplinary knowledge over traditional business proficiencies; soft skills like emotional intelligence, leadership, and creativity have become as important as technical business acumen.
Recruiters also want to hire smart people who know how businesses operate in different regulatory, economic, and political environments — who understand how to navigate challenges like currency fluctuations, disparate trade policies, and regional economic shifts. With Shanghai — a city where innovation meets tradition — as its backdrop, CEIBS is positioned to be home for those looking to understand and influence the next phase of global business, Zhang says.
“Shanghai provides a gateway to both multinational corporations and Chinese companies expanding globally,” she told Poets&Quants during an interview in her office on the CEIBS campus last fall. The city’s rapid digital transformation and business innovation make it an ideal setting for students to gain first-hand insights into emerging market trends, she adds, from AI-driven marketing to supply chain advancements.
“Since its inception, CEIBS has aimed to bridge China and the global business community,” Zhang adds. That’s reflected in the school’s diverse student body and its increasing number of international applicants.
Read about CEIBS’s MBA Class of 2025 here.
THE EVOLUTION OF CEIBS’s MBA PROGRAM
As the landscape of business education shifts, CEIBS is redefining the value of an MBA, Zhang says, acknowledging the importance of balancing academic rigor with real-world relevance.
“We are not just focused on increasing applicant numbers; we are prioritizing who is applying, what they are looking for, and how we can shape their experience to meet their goals.”
It is, however, one of CEIBS’ priorities to enhance its international student base. International enrollment is currently around 17%; Zhang says the B-school is committed to increasing this figure. The new political climate in the U.S., characterized by muscular statecraft, may benefit CEIBS by pushing away many international students, who will look to the East rather than the West.
Partnerships with HEC Paris, INSEAD, SDA Bocconi, EDHEC, and IE Business School in Europe — among many others — as well as Chicago Booth, Johns Hopkins Carey, Virginia Darden, Northwestern Kellogg, Duke Fuqua, and several other U.S. schools give CEIBS a prominent global profile in the world of business education that other Chinese B-schools lack — and admire — and further increase the school’s viability among international applicants.
What’s more, “We are actively expanding our exchange programs and exploring dual-degree opportunities to provide students with a richer, more globalized education,” Zhang adds.
CEIBS’s campus. Courtesy photo
EMBRACING CHINA’S ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION
Since 2018, China’s economy has contended with growing structural and cyclical challenges. A trade war with the U.S. that year slowed China’s exports and disrupted supply chains; Covid-19, during which Shanghai languished in an over-long lockdown, severely dampened consumer spending, investment, and other economic activity.
Since 2021, the Evergrande debt crisis and the financial struggles of major real estate developers have led to defaults, declining home sales, construction slowdowns, and local government revenue shortfalls — all of which has damaged consumer confidence. Meanwhile, youth employment in China soared to 21% in 2023, prompting the government to stop publishing data.
Overall economic recovery continues to be painstaking, hampered by deflation and debt challenges and a new trade war with the U.S. China’s GDP grew 5% in 2024, a solid but not spectacular rate compared to previous years.
Where does CEIBS figure into all this? Zhang acknowledges that China’s economic landscape is in transition, but she remains optimistic. “Every challenge presents new opportunities,” she says. With China’s aging population and evolving consumer market, CEIBS is poised to prepare its students for the emerging “silver economy” and the global expansion of Chinese brands.
“Chinese companies are seeking to establish themselves internationally, and CEIBS plays a crucial role in equipping future leaders with the skills and knowledge to navigate this transformation,” she says, emphasizing that CEIBS offers international students an invaluable opportunity to learn from China’s economic evolution and business strategies firsthand.
AMONG CHINA’S HIGHEST PERCENTAGES OF WOMEN MBA STUDENTS
CEIBS may hold appeal for applicants turned off not only by the U.S. government’s brusque diplomacy but also its attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion policies in higher education. This is especially true for women: The school has made remarkable strides in gender diversity, with over 40% of its MBA students being women — among the highest percentages in Asia. Like most elite school, CEIBS also fosters inclusivity through mentorship programs, leadership clubs, and faculty engagement, all of which help to ensure greater gender diversity.
“We have cultivated an environment that supports and encourages female students, ensuring they have the resources and mentorship to succeed,” says Zhang, who came to CEIBS from the University of Maryland Smith School of Business, and who earned her DBA from Harvard Business School.
Looking ahead, she says, CEIBS is committed to reinforcing the value of business education in a changing world: “We must continue to create unique value for our students and for the companies that employ them.”
BRIDGING ACADEMIA & INDUSTRY
CEIBS’ strength lies in its ability to combine rigorous academic learning with practical business insights. “The school fosters close relationships between MBA students, executives, and business leaders,” Zhang explains. She believes that CEIBS’ approach — blending academic rigor with practical business experience — sets it apart in an increasingly competitive MBA landscape. The institution offers a unique structure where MBA students interact with over 900 EMBA participants and numerous executives through workshops, networking events, and experiential learning programs.
“At CEIBS, executives get the opportunity to engage with young, innovative minds, while students gain exposure to real-world business challenges,” Zhang says — a symbiotic relationship that ensures that CEIBS remains at the forefront of leadership development.
“CEIBS is not just a business school; it is a place where future leaders come to gain insights, challenge themselves, and connect with the global business community.”
DON’T MISS THE P&Q INTERVIEW: ZHANG WEIJIONG, CO-DEAN OF CHINA EUROPE INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS SCHOOL and THE SKINNY: WHAT IT’S REALLY LIKE TO STUDY AT CEIBS
