The Guanghua-Kellogg EMBA Program (referred to as the GK Program) marks a decade of collaboration between Peking University’s Guanghua School of Management and Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. Since its founding in 2014, the GK Program has set a high standard for cross-cultural business education, by bringing together world-class expertise from two premier business schools that focus on China with a global perspective. Leveraging the immersive Kellogg Executive MBA Global Network, students in GK Program are granted the opportunity to study core courses at any of the six campuses within the global network. As a member of this network, Guanghua has launched Global Elective Courses with distinctive Chinese characteristics, catering to global students. Over the years, the Guanghua Global Elective Week has been successfully conducted ten times, hosting over 400 global executives to study in China. These courses not only assist international students in gaining a deeper understanding of the Chinese market but also serve as a platform for GK students to connect with the world.
On November 17, the 2024 Guanghua Global Elective Week has been successfully concluded in Shanghai, with nearly a hundred students from the six campuses of the Kellogg Executive MBA Global Network for an enriching six-day academic experience together.
A Key to the Real China
(From left to right: Shen Qiaowei, Ma Li, Zhang Ying, Zhou Li-An, Zhang Xiaobo)
The 2024 Guanghua Global Elective Week has convened five distinguished professors from the fields of economics, marketing, and management at Guanghua School of Management. Over the six intensive days, their courses facilitated a deep understanding of the Chinese market for global executives and initiated countless thought-provoking discussions.
The course "Business Strategies for the Chinese Market" co-taught by Professor Shen Qiaowei and Professor Ma Li, equipped global students with essential elements for successfully conducting business in China, including understanding consumer groups, market dynamics, and establishing relationships with local partners. The course "China Marketing: Tech, Society and Beyond" by Professor Zhang Ying, encompassed a wealth of engaging topics including macroeconomics, market cases, business development, online marketing, and social media, leading students to identify the unique Chinese market and deepen their comprehension of its characteristics and competitive landscape. The course "The Political Economy of China" taught by Professor Zhou Li-An, revealed the relationship between government and business in China with his profound academic background, delving into the nuances of local governance, the incentive mechanisms for local officials, and their symbiotic relationship with private entrepreneurs. The course "Entrepreneurship and Innovation in China" led by Professor Zhang Xiaobo, focused on the rapid industrialization process in China, discussing the central role of entrepreneurship and innovation in China's economic growth, and analyzed the crossroads faced by Chinese enterprises: relocation, outward expansion, upgrading, or closure.
An Integration of Theory and Practice
The Guanghua Global Electives place great emphasis on the integration of theory and practice, transcending the confines of the classroom by incorporating field trips. These immersive experiences allow students to deepen their understanding of the Chinese market and business models through direct engagement.
Professor Shen Qiaowei led the students on a visit to the SATURNBIRD SPACE, an innovative coffee shop that integrates technology, environmental protection, and gourmet food. Students witnessed the innovative capabilities and immense potential of China's coffee market, learned how sustainable development concepts drive changes in the coffee industry, as well as the market opportunities and challenges inherent in such transformations. Complementally, global students provided unique insights into how SATURNBIRD could expand overseas in the future.
Mr. Murray King, Vice President of Public Affairs and Communications at Disney China, was invited by Professor Zhang Ying to share his insights into how Disney, this global icon of imagination and creativity, has adapted its successful business model to the Chinese market through localized operations, brand development, and customer experience. Furthermore, Professor Zhang Ying guided students on a visit to ByteDance to explore how the firm is leading new trends in content distribution and social media with its innovative technology and to discuss its global impact and business strategies.
A Blend of East and West
The 2024 Guanghua Global Elective Week has also arranged a wealth of activities imbued with unique Chinese style, from which students forged the precious friendships in China.
During this Global Elective Week, students from GK Program and the Kellogg EMBA Global Network, along with Guanghua's Chinese EMBA students, bonded over basketball in friendly matches held in Beijing and Shanghai. The spirit of sports served as a bond connecting students from different cultures and backgrounds.
This transcendent friendship was also continued in the cultural activities meticulously planned by the GK10 cohort. In the experience of traditional arts such as Hanfu, calligraphy, tea ceremony, and intangible cultural heritage performances, global students not only felt the profound heritage of Chinese culture but also deepened the understanding and respect between the East and the West. The warmth and hospitality, inherited from previous cohorts and deeply rooted in the GK community, have undoubtedly become a classic tradition of the Guanghua Global Elective Week.
Conclusion
With the successful conclusion of the 2024 Guanghua Global Elective Week, we sincerely appreciate the active participation of all students from the six campuses of the Kellogg Executive MBA Global Network — Chicago, Miami, Beijing, Hong Kong, Toronto, and Vallendar. We eagerly anticipate your reconnection with each other in your upcoming global elective journey. From the Bund in Shanghai to various corners of the globe, each partner school provides unique experiences, embodying our shared dedication to nurturing future global leaders through cross-cultural collaboration and driving change on a global scale, which is also the core value of the global electives.
