2021 Opening Ceremony for ACEM MBA/EMABA Students

We set sail to pursue our dreams in September. On September 11, 2021, the 2021 Opening Ceremony for MBA/EMABA Students of ACEM SJTU was held solemnly in Wenzhi Hall of Xuhui Campus, after which 1125 new students of MBA and EMBA programs would start their MBA learning journey to understand themselves, improve themselves and surpass themselves.

Yang Zhenbin, Party Secretary of SJTU, Cheng Jinhua, Vice Dean of Graduate School, Chen Fangruo, Dean of ACEM, Jiang Wenning, Party Secretary of ACEM, Tian Xinmin, Associate Dean of ACEM, Jing Runtian, Associate Dean of ACEM, Dong Zhengying, Director of MBA program, Wang Mantian, Academic Director of IMBA program, Feng Yun, Academic Director of Technology Finance MBA program, Li Chunxiao, Academic Director of Artificial Intelligence MBA program, and faculties from relevant functional departments attended the ceremony. In the meantime, Su Kai, 2004 MBA alumnus and Partner of Sequoia Capital, and Zhang Weiming, 2012 MBA alumnus and Chairman of Shengjian Environment (603324), also attended the opening ceremony and shared their experience as alumni representatives. The opening ceremony was presided over by Liu Shaoxuan, Associate Dean of ACEM.

Yang Zhenbin, Party Secretary of SJTU, delivered a welcome speech. On behalf of the university, Mr. Yang Zhenbin welcomed all the new students to join SJTU and fulfill their dreams in ACEM. He quoted the motto handed down among the SJTU people: "We used to be young, but now we've grown up. So don't be arrogant or blame your fate and don't stare at the results but forget the process" to encourage everyone to study hard and strive continuously. Yang Zhenbin stressed that "if you choose SJTU, it means you choose the responsibility". SJTU was developed for prosperity, flourished with reform and succeeded with talents. It has always been in the same direction as the country's development. Therefore, every student of SJTU should deepen his/her sense of social responsibility and contribute his/her talents to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Cheng Jinhua, Vice Dean of the Graduate School, SJTU, welcomed the new students and put forward four expectations: connecting knowledge and experience; connecting teachers and classmates; connecting industries and times; and connecting the past and the future. Cheng Jinhua pointed out that in the era of VUCA, we should find a "stake of knowledge" for ourselves that can show the way and lead us to grow as future scholars or industry leaders with broad vision, scientific spirit and innovative ability. Efforts will be made by joining hands for co-creation and achieving the mutual benefit between teaching and learning. The Graduate School, ACEM and all students will work together to create values for the city, the country and humanity.

Chen Fangruo, Dean of ACEM SJTU and Dean of Industry Research Institute, SJTU, proposed to implement the strategy of "two types of scholarship, horizontal (academic) and vertical (industry), reinforcing each other and connecting theory with practice", meanwhile the knowledge creation system of the business school is under reform by establishing a new vertical knowledge creation system, i.e., industry research, based on the traditional horizontal discipline-oriented research. Taking root in China is the keyword and necessary for us to grow into a world-class business school. Chen Fangruo hoped that students would develop the ability of independent thinking and lifelong learning, and at the same time, combine theoretical learning with industry learning to promote the change of the College on the one hand, and to exercise themselves to become excellent entrepreneurs in the future on the other.

Prof. Jing Runtian, Associate Dean of ACEM SJTU, Changjiang Distinguished Professor of the Ministry of Education and the faculty of Organizational Behavior course of ACEM MBA/EMBA program, spoke as the representative of teachers. He used the metaphor of punctuation marks to send his message to the new students of MBA and EMBA programs. Prof. Jing Runtian said that universities are the purest organization with more empowering capability compared with businesses. The university is a semicolon, allowing students to see the world in a new identity or perspective after several years of work. Meanwhile, the university is a colon, providing a platform for students to make sincere communication and gain trust in life. And at last, the university is a dash, giving each student the direction that best proves his/her personal value.

Su Kai, 2004 MBA alumnus of ACEM SJTU and partner of Sequoia Capital, analyzed the "significance of MBA" in combination with his own learning experience in ACEM MBA. He said that MBA is like a kind of spiritual guidance, giving people a chance to think thoroughly and to try various possibilities when they have to make some decisions. The diversity of MBA students also reveals that wonderful results may be secured through a variety of life paths, thus triggering our broader exploration; ACEM MBA teaching system is a set of mature teaching systems that integrate the latest corporate management science and practical experience and is verified by time and sufficient sample size. It is of great value to build a comprehensive and systematic knowledge structure. Therefore, every student who gets the opportunity to study here should cherish this top platform to strive for better achievements while helping each other forward.

Zhang Weiming, 2012 EMBA alumnus of ACEM SJTU and Chairman of Shengjian Environment (603324), shared his indissoluble bond with ACEM SJTU. He said that in ACEM, he got the systematic and complete knowledge of business administration from faculties and was also inspired by the advanced practical management experience of his classmates, which helped him identify his corporate development strategy gradually, and finally lead his enterprise to achieve transformation and upgrading and successfully go public. Finally, he also wished everyone to embark on a new journey of life in SJTU and implement the development strategy of "two types of scholarship, horizontal (academic) and vertical (industry), reinforcing each other and connecting theory with practice" to build a systematic thinking and knowledge system and open up an international vision and global management concept, so as to live up to the fullest and study for their dreams.

In the following awarding ceremony, winners of the 2021 New Student Scholarships took the stage under the witness of leaders and all the new students to accept the honor, including EMBA New Student Scholarship, Full-time MBA New Student Scholarship, Part-time MBA New Student Scholarship, and New Student Scholarship for Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan and International Students.

Ms. Zheng Chuanzhuo, the representative of ACEM MBA 2021 new students and lawyer of Jones Day Shanghai Office practicing cross-border M&A, expressed that she had been studying and working for law practice for nearly 10 years. Although such efforts and accumulation have made her see the depth of this industry, as a lawyer and facing the uncertain future, it is also extremely important to extend the breadth in different industries. Therefore, she has chosen to continue studying for an MBA degree in ACEM, hoping to cross the boundary from law to business. At the same time, she also said that it is a kind of luck and valuable fate to meet elites from various industries in ACME where everyone can put down their past, walk out of their comfort zone and continue their study. She hoped that in the future, she can walk with this group of people who have dreams in their hearts and light in their eyes.

Mr. Fang Gang, the representative of ACEM EMBA 2021 new students and co-founder of Jiangsu Goodwe Power Supply Technology Co., Ltd. (688390), said that he expected the EMBA program of ACEM SJTU to provide a platform to upgrade the existing knowledge structure, connecting various resources and stimulate the potential. He also put forward several initiatives to encourage his classmates: the first is to be of foresight. Only with foresight there will be a future, and we can transcend the uncertainties with foresight; the second is to cherish the time rather than drift with the current, and rebuild the perception of time; the third is to fight against entropy increase and build our knowledge frame and thinking system through continuous learning to understand our life, position our life, practice our life, and create a life of great success.

Following MBA new student Shan Hongkun and EMBA new student Zheng Yang, all 2021 new students solemnly read their admission vows and made a solemn promise to the university to "be a qualified SJTU people".

After that, the whole audience sang the school song of SJTU, "Jiao Tong University, Jiao Tong University, and the group of talented people gather here together to sail together on the other side. Strive for self-improvement and contribute more to humanity..." They kept the words in mind and swore to make the spirit of SJTU a lifelong guideline and roadmap.

In closing, Liu Shaoxuan, Associate Dean of ACEM SJTU, announced the successful conclusion of the 2021 Opening Ceremony for ACEM MBA/EMABA Students. He wished all the new students to move forward to new heights and conquer more uncharted territories in their lives and to demonstrate the 120-year styles and features of SJTU by learning the history and culture of ACEM over hundred years in their future study and life, thus striving for its continuous glory.