China Europe International Business School launches plan to better connect China and the world

China Europe International Business School unveiled a five-year strategic plan on Thursday in Shanghai, aiming to better connect Europe, China, and the wider world through management education.

The school, co-founded in 1994 by the Chinese government and the European Union, is dedicated to cultivating business leaders with a unique positioning of "China Depth, Global Breadth". It has presence not only in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen in China, but also in Zurich, Switzerland, and Accra, Ghana.

Over the past five years, the school has made remarkable achievements in many key areas, with its Global EMBA ranking in the top two worldwide for six consecutive years, according to the Financial Times, and its MBA ranked No 1 in Asia for 10 consecutive years. Its case studies are used more than two million times in over 1,100 institutions across more than 80 countries. It also continued to empower a global alumni network of over 34,000 members in over 90 countries and regions, with 85 percent in senior management roles and 480 serving as chairman, president, or CEO of 437 listed companies in China, Wang Hong, president of the school, said.

In the forward-looking blueprint for the years ahead, Wang introduced that the school will reinforce its top-tier position, exemplify social responsibility, expand its world-class faculty, develop signature research areas, optimize its program portfolio, deepen China-Europe engagement, accelerate full-scale AI integration, and further empower its alumni network.

"As China enters the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period, what the country needs most is no longer simply experts in a single field, but rather versatile management professionals capable of bridging science and technology, industry, capital, organizations, and global norms. Our mission is exactly to cultivate such talents who understand both China and the world, technology and business, as well as who drive growth while taking on responsibility," Wang said.

Frank Bournois, the school's co-president (European), said amid geopolitical complexities and real challenges facing the world, the school's long-standing positioning as a pioneer in Europe-China engagement remains a key advantage. The school continues to adapt its program portfolio, integrate emerging topics such as AI, and deepen engagement with industry through platforms, ensuring that education remains closely aligned with real-world business needs. It will also increase the proportion of international students in the MBA and Global EMBA programs to over 30 percent per program.

He noted that the school's role as a bridge between China and Europe is both long-term and constantly evolving. While external conditions may fluctuate, the demand for globally minded leaders with cross-cultural capabilities will only grow, reinforcing the school's mission to connect Europe, China, and the wider world through management education.

Also, the school is also set to advance "AI (artificial intelligence) + HI (human intelligence)" dual-driven model to shape a new paradigm in business education. It will drive a comprehensive upgrade of its teaching, research, and campus operations by adopting the model, with a focus on building a new ecosystem for business education that is smart, personalized and of high quality.