TheMannheim-TongjiExecutiveMBAprogram,aSino-Germaneducationproject,celebrateditsfifthgraduationceremonyonMay4intheKnights’Hall,MannheimBusinessSchool.

TheexecutiveMBAdual-degreeprogramwasjointlyestablishedbytheSchoolofEconomicsandManagementofShanghai-basedTongjiUniversityandtheGermanMannheimBusinessSchoolin2010.

Duringthegraduationceremony,21seniorexecutivesearnedthedualdegreeaftertwoyearsofstudiesinShanghaiandGermany.

Theprogramfocusesonglobalbusinesschallengesfromaninterculturalperspectiveandstrivestocultivatecross-borderunderstandingsinbusinesspractices.

“Theprogramhascombinedthetwoinstitutions’strengthsandadvantages,andparticipantswillbeimmersedinthevibrantculturesoftwohighlyrecognizedinstitutionsastheystudyintwobusinesshubs,ShanghaiandMannheim,”saidHuoJiazhen,deanofTongjiSEM.

“Seniorexecutivesandhigh-leveltalentfromaroundtheworldwillbeequippedwiththeknowledge,skillsandbusinesstoolsnecessaryforinternationalmanagement,competitionandotherbusinesschallenges,”Huosaid.

Aftersixyearsofdevelopment,theMannheim-TongjiExecutiveMBAprogramhasreceivedhundredsofparticipants,manyofwhomareseniorexecutivesandhigh-levelmanagementfromworld-leadingcompanies,suchasBASF,SAP,BMW,Siemens,PhilipsandPorsche.

JensWustemann,deanofMBS,saidtheexecutiveMBAprogram’sachievementscanbeattributedtohighlydiverseclassesofstudentsandtheprogram’sdesign.

Accordingtotheschool,sixmodulesweredesignedfortheprogramtocovervariousmanagementsubjects,withthreeinMannheimandthreeinShanghai.Eachmodulehasfourdifferenthard-andsoft-skillcoursestaughtinEnglishbyfacultiesfromallovertheworld.

Thehard-skillcoursescanprovideparticipantswithbroadgeneralmanagementexpertise,integratingperspectivesandbestpracticesfromaroundtheworld.Soft-skillcoursessuchascooperationinmulticulturalteamsandnegotiationsinaSino-Germancontextwillenableparticipantstobecomeamuchmoreeffectiveleader.

Inadditiontoaccesstoworld-classfacultyandbusinessspeakersfromtopenterprisesinbothChineseandEuropeanmarkets,studentsoftheprogramalsohaveopportunitiestomakecompanyvisitstogainabetterunderstandingofbusinessoperations.

“Theprogramputsanevenstrongeremphasisonthedevelopmentofexecutiveleadershipskillsandoffersincreasedflexibilityintermsofelectivesandpersonaldevelopment,”Wustemannsaid.

Accordingtotheschool’sofficialwebsite,MBSisconsideredtobeoneoftheleadinginstitutionsofitskindin

GermanyandiscontinuouslyrankedasGermany’sNo.1.ItwasalsorecognizedthebestGermanMBAprogramintheglobalMBArankingsbytheFinancialTimesandtheEconomist.Inthe2015FinancialTimesExecutiveEducationrankings,MBSwasrankedamongthetop5worldwideforcustomizedprograms.

Theresultswerebasedonglowingreviewsfromcorporateclients.Forexample,inthesub-categoriesofFaculty,TeachingMethodsandMaterialsandFollow-Up,MBStooktophonorsinafieldof85institutionsfromaroundtheworld.MBSrankedsecondintheValueforMoneycategory.

“TheMannheim-TongjiEMBAprogramisafruitofTongjiSEM’sglobalizationstrategyandithascreatedaplatformwherethetwoleadingschoolsareabletolearnfromeachother,”HuoJiazhensaid.

“Thetwointernationalbusinessschoolswilldevelopmutuallyintheprocessofjointcooperationanddevelopment,”Huosaid.

Overtheyears,TongjiSEMhasmadegreatereffortstoimplementglobalizationstrategiesandincreaseitsinternationalstanding.

TongjiSEMrecentlyreceivedafive-yearcertificationforbusinesseducationfromboththeEuropeanQualityImprovementSystemandtheAssociationtoAdvanceCollegiateSchoolsofBusiness,becomingtheseventhbusinessschoolinChinatoreceivethetwomostauthoritativeinternationalbusinesseducationcertifications.TongjiSEMhasalsoreceivedcertificationsfromAMBA,CAMEAandPMI-GAC.

InadditiontocelebratingtheEMBAparticipants’graduation,thefinancemodulewaskickedoffinMannheim.Theprogramwillalsoworktocreateasenseofcommunityforalumniandnewparticipantsbyorganizingaseriesofconferencesandlectures.