Do you know what it is like studying at a world-top business school? To many people, doctorate candidates in top institutions probably wear thick glasses. They work hard and take exams from dawn to night and spend most of their time dealing with boring numbers or laboratories. They are rarely sociable or expressive, missing the colors of life in busy study and work.

The stereotype of a doctorate candidate may be like this:

However, reality may surpass your imagination!

If you have the chance to take a journey at emlyon Global DBA Program, you will be surprised that your peers are industry leaders beyond your expectation!

Spiritual Feast & Aesthetics in Life

Everyone can have his/her own "Spiritual Feast", by listening to music, by learning dance, by talking to people with more power or by studying. A school is undoubtedly the best place to seek for spiritual feast. Here, you can listen to cutting-edge theories from world-class scholars, discuss industry trends with executives from all walks of life, or share lifestyle aesthetics with your peers.

On January 12, 2019, emlyon Global DBA Annual Gala Dinner was held in Shanghai. The night before, they were exploring the global operating strategy along with experts in the field of artificial intelligence and thinking over industry practices and analytics with the attitude of scholar-industry-leader of the new era. At this moment, they turned into fashion icon by creating the new ideas of the cultures between the East and the West. A few moments ago, they were discussing and debating the latest research finding in the industry classroom with top-notch scholars. And now, they perceived the elegance of life in the music and dance.

At here, there are feasts for both minds and aesthetics. Prof. Junsong CHEN, Assistant Dean of emlyon business school Asia and Director of Global DBA Asia Track; Prof. Yuan JIANG, Visiting Professor and DBA Advisor of em ; Prof. Max Zedtwitz, Lecturer of emlyon Global DBA Program; and Mrs. Jingxia PAN, COO of emlyon Asia & Operational Director of Global DBA Asia Track, were present at the event and shared the good times among emlyon Global DBA 2017 and 2018 participants.

As a traditional performance at emlyon Global DBA Annual Gala Dinner, the "Paris-style Fashion Show" was once again staged. The wonderful outfit, elegant posture and unique style all revealed the exquisite sophisticated of DBAers.

Caption: Acknowledgement to Mossant, a centennial hat brand rooted in France, for its supports to this year’s emlyon Global DBA New Year Party

Search for Academic Inspirations

While enjoying a refined life, they still open up new horizons in their studies. In the era of Globalization 4.0 driven by artificial intelligence and big data, on the evening of January 11, 2019, people of insight from all walks of life gathered together at emlyon business school. With the theme of organization capability and global operating strategy in the NEW ERA, a number of world-renowned professors shared cutting-edge theories and cases in the world with on-site guests and more than 20,000 live viewers who were interested in these themes. From the perspective of historical dialectics, they also looked forward to China’s future development in the context of globalization.

The sharing of frontier findings led to the reflection of the guests. Just like the study at emlyon Global DBA Program, knowledge acquisition is only part of it. More profound learning resides in constant exploration, ongoing rethinking, problem identification and solving, and extraction into theories. At the same time, it is also essential to further sublimate theories into intuition and enhance business judgment and decision-making.

At the beginning of the new year, the courses of “Frontiers of Management Research” for emlyon Global DBA 2017 and “Quantitative Research” for emlyon Global DBA 2018 took place as scheduled, which inspired creativity and collision in the specific research interests and directions of the participants.

By taking the workshop of Frontiers in Management and Business Research，Global DBA students of 2017 intake overviewed of some frontier topics in management and business research. They appreciated the linkages between theory，research design and data analysis. They assess the quality of research from a critical perspective and enhanced the competencies of designing their own research.

By taking the workshop of Quantitative Research Method, DBA students of 2018 intake got the ability of designing and evaluating empirical research, and developing familiarity with statistical and quantitative terminology. Meanwhile, they canbrush up on statistics basics from previous learning in the college. What’s more,they can assess the quality of quantitative research and understand itsimplications for their own research and for management in the future.

Furthermore, this courseacquainted them with various tools and techniques used in“quantitative research methods in business,” provide approaches towrite and publish a paper with quantitative research methods for businessstudy.

Testimonial:

Q: How to balance the time spent in study and life and to find sufficient fun in learning?

A: Listen carefully in the classroom, communicate freely with peers and play hard. The year of 2019 will witness the supports and encouragement of the Program team, faculty and classmates. Although it is still too early to talk about graduation, with your supports and encouragement, we will definitely be able to move forward. Let's run, brothers and sisters!

——Kenneth LAI, emlyon Global DBA 2017 participant

Q: Anything interesting to share with us in your study or life at emlyon in 2018?

A: There were moments you just never forget. The styles, the awards, the laughs, the dance, and the kind of feelings warm you up from head to toe.#In emlyon, DBAers also entertain seriously#

——Monica WU, emlyon Global DBA 2018 participant

Q: What's your small target in 2019?

A: In 2018, I engaged in morning jogging in 311 days and there are still 54 days to go to meet my small target in 2019. From learning to summing up, referring to others and sublimating my experience, knowledge is infinite!

——Annelie QU, emlyon Global DBA 2017 participant

A: The reasonable man adapts himself to the world：the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man."

——Mindy FANG, emlyon Global DBA 2018 participant

Looking back at 2018, our humble yet smart emlyon Global DBA participants embellished the rigorous and academic journey towards DBA with warm and iridescent colors to transform business wisdom into practice in fun and laughter.

"Studying at emlyon Global DBA Program is a chance to challenge myself," said by many participants after the New Year Party, "But it pays off.  Joining emlyon Global DBA Program is one of the best choices of mine.” The statement revealed more joy and expectation for the dissertation and rest of Global DBA journey.

Looking forward to 2019,

we continue pursue the expectable aesthetics of life,

the happy and fulfilling curriculum and

the wonderful Global DBA journey….

Together we "Inspire the early maker of future".

Co-author: Marcom, emlyon business school Asia

Proofreading: Global DBA Asia Track, em lyon business school