Five Reasons to Get an MBA in Shanghai

This article is sponsored the Fudan University School of Management. Learn more about its IMBA program

Often called the “Paris of the East,” the bustling metropolis of Shanghai is not only China’s most populated city, but the world’s. Over a century old, Shanghai’s Fudan University is home to more than 34,000 students. The university’s name, Chinese for ‘a new morning’,  is taken from a quote found in Confucius’s Shang Shu: “Brilliant is the sunlight and the moonlight, again the morning glory after a night.”

Lynn Miao, senior admissions officer at the Fudan-MIT IMBA program explains why earning an MBA in Shanghai can prepare an international student for the future.

1. Be on the frontline of global business

As Miao points out, China is the future. Long the world’s fastest growing economy, its historical gross domestic product has grown by an average of nearly 10% for over 30 years.  Shanghai is the country’s economic center and it enjoyed a front row seat as the nation transitioned from an impoverished, agrarian society to a modern leader in manufacturing and exports.

The Chinese economy suffered during the global recession. Individual consumers, businesses and entire countries quite suddenly had less money to spend. This meant China was exporting fewer goods.

China has responded in part by enacting a wide variety of reforms. Since January of 2014, Shanghai has been home to a free-trade zone. As sectors once controlled by the government are liberalized, opportunities abound for those earning an MBA in Shanghai. As Fudan IMBA student NG Xin Yao explains, “Shanghai is in a unique position of being the pioneer and test bed for impending financial reforms….. If successful, there could be unprecedented opportunities.”

2.  See firsthand the benefits of Chinese education

Over the past few years, countries across the world have reduced government spending for education. Meanwhile, Chinese investment in education has actually increased. In the midst of a global recession, China remained focused on their goal of spending four percent of GDP on education. In 2012, they achieved this. According to the New York Times China invests over 250 billion each year on a variety of educational subsidies.

For International MBA Students, this can mean everything from more modern facilities and top-ranked professors to an education that is less expensive when compared to most of Fudan’s European or North American counterparts. The value of a Chinese education is one reason more and more international students are choosing to study in China. As Ministry of Education official Zhang Xiuqin told The Shenzhen Daily, there are more than 330,000 foreign students studying in China, and this figure is expected to reach 500,000 by 2020.

In Shanghai, intnernational students can see firsthand the benefits of Chinese education just by interacting with the well-educated locals. The 2012 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) places Shanghai’s education standards as the best in the world (Hong Kong is in second place). PISA measures 15-year-old students’ reading, mathematics, and science literacy amongst other competencies. Coordinated by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), an intergovernmental organization of industrialized countries, the PISA study is conducted conducted every three years. It collates the test results of 500,000 15-year-olds in 62 countries. It's no wonder https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings-articles/qs-best-stud... ranks it as one of the world's best student cites.

3. You’ll get to see the world outside of China too

Whether taking part in a two week summer course abroad or a year-long degree program, international students at Fudan have a wide range of choices. At Fudan the IMBA program is partnered with the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This gives Fudan’s IMBA students the opportunity to earn a learning certificate from MIT in addition to their Fudan degree. Fudan students admitted to MIT’s Master of Science in Management Studies spend their second year attending classes at the prestigious US university. This allows them to earn an additional degree.

The school also offers runs partnerships with numerous other prestigious universities including Yale in the United States and York University in Canada. Over 50 business schools across the globe offer Fudan MBA students opportunities for a semester-long exchange program or short- term course work.

4. Experience global Shanghai

Life in China provides daily opportunities to experience one of the oldest and most fascinating cultures in the world, but it is also a truly international city. You’ll see this straightaway – Shanghai boasts architectural influences from England and France, mixed in with the local and modern. New arrivals at the University of Fudan have an opportunity to tour Shanghai to get the benefit of this rich mélange.

As Fudan MBA student Xin Yao puts it, “Shanghai is truly unique in China; it is a cultural hotspot. Not just because of its sizeable foreign population which in itself brings different cultural elements together, but also because of the wide availability of foreign musical acts, dance performances, plays, art exhibition, etc. If you have a thirst for art, it will be quenched.”

Shanghai restaurants offer more than just authentic Chinese food – although that is not to be sniffed at. Nearly every nation on earth is represented in a city that provides visitors and locals alike with top notch cuisine from countries like Italy, Mexico, France, the US and many others. International students Shanghai are known to participate in the city’s Dragon Boat Festival. The festival in early June honors national hero Qu Yuan, a poet and minister active in the 4th and 3rd centuries BC.

5. Learn Chinese…in China

For Miao, the ideal Fudan MBA student is one who hopes to actively pursue Chinese business opportunities. After graduation, this could mean continuing to live in China or working for a company with operations there, or simply taking advantage of your network in and understanding of China to conduct business. Recently, a number of firms have relocated from Hong Kong, long a hub for international trade, to Shanghai.

Not counting tourists and other casual visitors, nearly 200,000 foreign citizens call Shanghai home. This means international students can usually find fellow expats who speak their language. Although English is widely spoken, being able to speak Mandarin is a distinct advantage. Every international MBA student attends a Chinese language course their first semester, giving them the opportunity to learn Chinese in China. Those who wish to continue their Chinese education can attend the International Cultural Exchange School while earning their MBA in Shanghai.