From June 9th to 11th, Peng Hu, Assistant Dean of the School of Management, led a delegation to Bologna, Italy, to attend the 2024 annual conference of the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD). The conference brought together over 500 elites in the field of management education, government think tanks, and entrepreneurs from around the world. It organized five keynote reports and ten parallel sessions to discuss heated topics such as the impact of globalization, collaborative research, creative leadership, and digital learning strategies.
During the conference, Peng Hu and his team introduced to EFMD President Eric Cornuel the progress of our school's preparation for EQUIS accreditation. Eric Cornuel highly praised our school's international influence and outstanding academic performance, wishing our school a successful certification. This meeting not only enhanced mutual understanding and trust but also laid a solid foundation for our school’s further international advancement.
Peng Hu and his team also visited Alfons Sauquet, Director of EQUIS Quality Services, and had in-depth talks with Deputy Director Yuan Ding. Peng Hu provided a detailed report on the school's significant strides in internationalization and strategic development since the visit to the EQUIS headquarters in March. Both directors highly affirmed our school's preparatory work and offered valuable suggestions and advice for the upcoming on-site certification, providing important support for our school to further improve its self-review report and certification preparation.
Peng Hu met with Metka Tekavcic, former Dean of the Faculty of Economics at the University of Ljubljana and a member of our school's EQUIS on-site certification review team. During the meeting, Peng Hu warmly welcomed Metka Tekavcic's visit in October and introduced comprehensive updates on the school’s progress in preparing for international certification. Metka Tekavcic highly praised our school's performance and expressed her anticipation for the upcoming on-site accreditation.
In terms of international cooperation, Peng Hu had extensive discussions with representatives from various universities at the international cooperation conference, including Edgar Meyer, Dean of the Business School at the University of Birmingham, discussing mutual visits and cooperation projects such as curriculum development, student exchange, and faculty training. At the same time, he discussed short-term projects and scientific cooperation with Massimo Bergami, Dean of the Business School at the University of Bologna, expanding our school's cooperation network in Italy. In addition, discussions with IÉSEG Business School in France clarified specific steps and timelines for dual master's programs and scientific cooperation. Peng Hu also met with representatives from KEDGE Business School, SKEMA Business School, National Chengchi University Business School in Taiwan, and Yonsei University Business School in South Korea, thanked them for their support for international cooperation, and explored the expansion of exchange student programs and scientific cooperation.
In terms of international organizations, Peng Hu and his team met with representatives of the Association of Asia Pacific Business Schools (AAPBS). In line with the "Belt and Road" international cooperation strategy framework, our school officially joined the organization as an AAPBS member in 2022. AAPBS representatives extended a warm welcome to our school's membership and actively invited our school to participate in the 20th anniversary conference of the AAPBS to be held at Tsinghua University in the second half of this year.
This conference deepened the mutual understanding between our school and international organizations such as EFMD, fully demonstrated the strength and characteristics of our school, and further expanded channels for international cooperation. The School of Management will take this opportunity to strengthen communication and exchanges with international organizations and partners, continuously enhancing its international reputation and influence. Antai Li, Director of the International Affairs Office of the School of Management, also attended it.
