2020 Opening Ceremony Held for ACEM MBA / EMBA

2020 is a special year featured by a profound "battle against the epidemic". On September 5, a grand opening ceremony was held for the 2020 MBA students of Antai College of Economics and Management (ACEM) of Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), a much anticipated memory that will always remain fresh in our minds. Ambitious students from across the world embark on their academic journey at ACEM on Xuhui Campus, the birthplace of SJTU over 120 years ago. On September 5, 2020, the opening ceremony for the 2020 MBA and EMBA students (including SJTU-NTU EMBA students) started with the solemn PRC National Anthem played in Hall 1 of Shanghai Film Art Center.

Leaders and guests present at the ceremony were: Gu Feng, Deputy Secretary of SJTU Party Committee, Chen Fangruo, Dean of ACEM, Yang Jie, Party Secretary of ACEM, Liu Shaoxuan, Tian Xinmin, Wu Wenfeng, Vice Deans of ACEM, Yu Leng, Zhang Donghong, Deputy Secretaries of ACEM Party Committee, Rong Ying, Director of MBA Program, Zhou Ying, Director of EMBA Program, Luo Jun, Director of CLGO Program, along with faculty members from relevant functional departments. Also present at the ceremony were Chen Chunhua, SJTU's 2005 MBA alumnus, now Vice President of Cowell Health of Hillhouse Capital, Founder of Shanghai Wondering Health Chain Co., Ltd., and Li Wen, a 2011 EMBA alumnus, now Chairman of Shanghai Top Draw Information Technology Co., Ltd. Both shared their stories as alumni representatives. The ceremony was presided over by Liu Shaoxuan,  Vice Dean of ACEM, SJTU.

Deputy Secretary Gu Feng delivered a speech at the ceremony. "SJTU, Responsibility Begins Here" serves as a common value pursued by all SJTUers with concrete actions. First, cherish every learning opportunity and environment. I wish all of you know more about yourselves, find your position, boost your morale, assume your responsibility at the forefront of the times, fulfil your aspirations with hard work, keep forging ahead and make yourselves ever stronger. Second, keep well motivated and oriented in learning. "Foresight" holds the key to outperform peers and eventually stand out. It derives from constant exploration. As foresight enables you to abandon groundless rhetoric, constant exploration boosts your willpower and sense of responsibility to see the big with the small, and navigate your career path forward. Third, develop a broad perspective with global vision. I wish all of you maintain low key in conducting yourself while doing great things as SJTUers, pursue specific goals with hard work and dedication, make sensible judgement and show perseverance for great accomplishments. Please always bear in mind SJTU's origin, aspiration and mission to seek deep harmony between heaven and earth as indicated in its name. Here is my sincerest wish for you: never idle away prime years; forge ahead with hard work and dedication; achieve goals with competence; let go of the past and face squarely the future! Stand at the historic forefront and prove worthy in this great era!

Dean Chen Fangruo of ACEM told students to: grow with gratitude to this extraordinary era that holds great promise for a large pool of talents, and to your loved ones, colleagues and friends for their support by providing you with such a precious learning opportunity. First, empty your cup so that it may be filled; become devoid to accept, think and make conclusions. Second, develop your interest and ability to learn on your own. Competitions will abound not only between people, but also between people and machines. Learning is like sailing against the flow; you will either make progress or fall behind. As "water flows" much faster worldwide than ever before, the ability to learn on your own becomes all the more important. Third, follow industry research closely. You are welcomed to join ACEM's relevant industry research teams as long as you have many years of experience and expertise in a specific industry to contribute your wisdom on one hand and learn about the cutting-edge developments in the industry based on our research on the other hand, which I believe, will greatly facilitate your future career development in return. Fourth, keep fit. 7 hours in office plus 1 hour of physical exercises will yield more positive results than what 8 consecutive office hours can deliver in total (7+1>8), and a good health also enhances working and learning performances. Please always live up to this great era, work hard, develop in an all-round way, and strive to become pillars for your family and motherland.

Rong Ying, Director General of MBA Program, also sent his message: First, think out of the box. Do this for improvement. It's imperative both to bring work experience into the classroom and to abandon existing solutions while seeking new ideas from brainstorming with your teachers and peers. Second, identify and further enhance what you excel at. The recent escalating tensions between China and the US have laid bare the trump card of the US against China: its absolute advantage in some specific fields. For a country like China, greater overall national strength with irreplaceable fields are part and parcel to break through such containment. So is all the more the case for each individual. It's time to identify what you are best at following years of all-round development. Third, assume responsibility for your family and country. Under SJTU's Motto to "always think of the source when drinking water with patriotism for the nation and honor for the school", students here are expected to develop a keen sense of responsibility for their country's destiny. I wish you all a wonderful and peaceful life where you can think out of the box, improve what you are best at, and tap your greatest potential as compared to the most important variables in the utility function.

Zhou Ying, Director General of EMBA Program, illustrated his message with "3 Lines": Choice, Enablement and Growth. Line of Choice: At this moment, you have to make three choices: diligence or ignorance, enrichment or indulgence, academic pursuit at SJTU here or elsewhere. So congratulations! You have not only learned how to choose but already made the right choice to enter this learning zone from the comfort zone before stepping into the panic zone. Line of Enablement: The EMBA and MBA programs provide four-pronged enablement in: breadth, depth, height and speed. Such programs serve as an enabling platform for you to scale new heights and go even further. Line of Growth: First, I look forward to your transformation from grassroot to Confucian merchants and ultimately philosophers with a grand perspective; second, a shift from an overall to a global vision and finally a future outlook; third, an elevation from capital to industrial and eventually to future social entrepreneurs. Wish you all the more knowledgeable, well informed, insightful and appreciative in your academic years here at SJTU. B: Body; E: Energy; S: Show (EQ), T: Thinking (IQ), constitute "BEST". That is my wish for all of you: the BEST business leaders when you graduate.

Chen Chunhua, a 2005 MBA alumnus, shared his valuable experience on behalf of all alumni: His life goal used to be "reading 10,000 books, travelling 10,000 miles and making 10,000 friends" upon his graduation as a bachelor. However, "10,000" was moderated with a more practical "singular form" during his MBA years: "writing a book, starting a business and jogging each day." Writing a book: He spent more than 400 days in 2007-08 writing 1,000 words each day that culminated in his 400,000-word masterpiece "Drugstore: Ecological Niche", the only book on strategic management for drugstores so far. Starting a business: Just as Zhao Pu, an imperial prime minister in the Northern Song Dynasty, once ruled the State with half of the Analects, Chen started his business with this book. Mushrooming direct sales drugstores have generated a "Freshhema" in the drugstore sector known as the most "wonderful" brand in Asia. Jogging each day: It was Chen's stamina that enabled him to be a strong player in the Top 320 in Team A for the 8th Asia-Pacific Business Schools Desert Adventure from a sheer rookie that even jogged without knowing what quick-dry activewear was back in 2018. It would be better falling onto the ground in race rather than lying desperately in bed. Don't jog or read for money, as money is a mere byproduct of your perseverance in jogging and reading. The moment you fully realize that success knows no limit, the beauty of life will launch its smiling charm on you. "There is only one heroism in the world: to see the world as it is and to love it." -- Romain Rolland And I also wish you every success.

Li Wen, a 2011 EMBA alumnus, also shared his learning experience: During his MBA years at ACEM, Li's desire to "see the big world" got ever stronger, particularly since his participation in the Gobi Challenge that led to his final decision to start his own business. Multiple brand-new challenges awaited him as a technical expert determined to start a new business for business management in terms of business models, marketing channels, financing development etc, where he was fortunate enough to apply what he has learned at ACEM. The current world is redefined by the Internet with all industries giving priority to tech innovation as the core growth engine for enterprises. Professors at ACEM will also inculcate you with innovation genes and core technical capabilities for your jobs in enterprises. In addition, there are numerous alumni associations at ACEM as excellent platforms set up for you to enjoy extracurricular life and to socialize. As alumni, we are grateful that we are living in such an era in such a world. Our gratitude also goes to ACEM of SJTU and all its faculty members! It is also our wish that you seize the time and opportunity to make progress with your diligence so as to give back to the society.

In the witness of all newcomers, ACEM leaders awarded honorary certificates to students of 2020 who won outstanding scholarships, including: First Prize in International MBA Pre-Admission, First Prize in International MBA Joint Exam, First Prize in CLGO Pre-Admission, First Prize in CLGO Joint Exam, First Prize in Full-time GMAT Scholarship, First Prize in Part-time MBA Pre-Admission, First Prize in Part-time MBA Joint Exam, First Prize in MBA Pre-admission for Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, First Prize of MBA Joint Exam for Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, First Prize in International MBA Interview-Performance, EMBA Future Leaders Scholarship. Four new MBA students delivered their speeches on behalf of programs they respectively applied, in which they also expressed their gratitude to this era and ACEM for providing them with a larger platform to improve themselves.

Yang Jie, Party Secretary of ACEM, made concluding remarks: The key word is "lucky". First, you're lucky for a successful admission to ACEM out of numerous competitors; second, you're lucky for a successful opening ceremony now thanks to effective epidemic control by the government; third, you're lucky for living in this era and learning opportunities at ACEM that is ready to reform. You are lucky to be part of its initial industry research and reform process and thrive together with ACEM. Always wish you a good luck. First and foremost, rejuvenate yourselves as youth for constant innovation with a young attitude. Second, retrieve your confidence by knowledge, capability and interpersonal communication. Last but not the least, pursue your own dreams, as only dreamers would become future leaders. It is the best of times; it is also the worst of times. I also believe that all of you here would become leaders and elites in all industries. Enrich yourselves, stay true to your ideals and build confidence. ACEM will always stand behind you.

In closing, students of 2020 all stood up and solemnly took oath with their right hands raised led by the two representatives on their behalf. The resonating oath "cultivate first-class conduct, do first-class scholarship, enable first-class endeavors, shape first-class talents" in the hall marked the end of the opening ceremony. Students will set out on their journey from here to forge ahead with dreams and sail forward by braving winds and waves! The opening ceremony was concluded with flying colors.