On the morning of October 22^nd, with the theme of “The Kickoff of Ambition and Friendship”, the opening ceremony of emlyon-BUPT GEMBA Program 2020 was successfully held in the Conference Hall of Beijing BUPT Hotel.

Wang Hua, Associate Dean of emlyon business school, Dean of emlyon business school Asia and French Dean of Asia Europe Business school, Jean-Francois Doulet, Commissioner of Higher Education and Humanity & Social Sciences of French Embassy in China, Zhang Weiwei, Director of emlyon-BUPT GEMBA Program, Xu Kun, Vice President, Chen Yan, Director of International Cooperation and Exchange, Hu Qiyi, Secretary of the CPC Committee of School of Economics and Management, Wang Huan, Executive Dean, Song Juan, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Committee, Vice President He Ying and Ma Xiaofei, both Associate Deans, and Yang Fan, Director of EMBA Center from Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications (BUPT), and and other leaders, guests and GEMBA 2020 participants attended the opening ceremony. Isabelle Huault, Executive President and Dean of emlyon business school.

▲ Ma Xiaofei, Associate Dean of School of Economics and Management BUPT

Before the ceremony, Prof. Wang Hua, Associate Dean of emlyon business school and Dean of emlyon business school Asia, warmly congratulated the freshmen of emlyon-BUPT GEMBA 2020 and delivered a speech on the theme of "Organizational Innovation in the Era of Digital Economy ".

Prof. Wang pointed out that the greatest gap between human beings and animals lies in our strong organization and creativity, emphasizing that human beings can surpass themselves through organization. He illustrated out that under the impact of digitalization, many enterprises are facing life and death choices. The digital economy has brought great challenges to them, with doubled complexity and openness, emerging new ecosystems and shaking rankings. In the era full of changes, organizations need to carry out radical, top-down and in-depth innovation. They must be forward-looking and walk at the forefront of technology. The soul of the future enterprise is the vision, mission and value proposition towards value sharing. The company culture shall represent transparent goals, free flow of information and feedbacks. Organizations and managers shall move towards empowerment and be rewarded for their skills and abilities. Meanwhile, the role of the industry shall evolve into the co-construction and symbiosis of new ecosystems.

Finally, Prof. Wang also stressed the importance of organizational innovation. He hoped that all the participants will not forget their original intention and keep in mind the mission of entrepreneurs and wished everyone a smooth start to the journey of digital Early Makers at emlyon-BUPT GEMBA Program.

▲ Wang Hua, Associate Dean of emlyon business school and Dean of emlyon business school Asia

In the solemn national anthems of the French Republic and the People's Republic of China, the opening ceremony officially started.

▲ In the national anthems of the French Republic and the People's Republic of China

Prof. Xu Kun, Vice President of Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, made an opening speech. Prof. Xu warmly welcomed Prof. Wang Hua and his party and expressed heartfelt congratulations to the elite students from all walks of life who joined emlyon-BUPT GEMBA Program.

According to Prof. Xu, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, founded in 1955, is the first post and telecommunications institution of higher learning in New China, known as China's Huangpu Military Academy for Information and Communication. It is one of the first national key universities to carry out the "211 Project" as well as one of the first "Double First-class" universities. BUPT is an important training base for innovative and leading talents in information technology in China and enjoys a high reputation in the cross-cutting fields of information, communication, computing and their intersections with economics and management. Meanwhile, BUPT is a diversified and international university, which has established close cooperation and exchange relations with more than 150 world-class universities at home and abroad. The School of Economics and Management is positioned to train leading talents in the world's information and communication industry. It is one of the first three schools at BUPT and is also a highly recognized business school in China. Many professors graduated from world-leading universities and many graduates are serving as senior executives in Fortune 500 companies, especially high-tech enterprises in the fields of information, communication and Internet. To "trace the source, express one's ambition and make friends", Prof. Xu stated that it covers the essence of emlyon-BUPT GEMBA in three fields of knowledge, career and life. Everyone needs to listen to the masters, ask the wise and have enlightenment, which takes thousands of miles to travel and thousands of books to read. We need to face the business world and learn more about the future. GMEBA 2020 participants will experience in their study and life over the next two years, who shall treasure these valuable assets and benefit from them throughout their lives.

▲ Xu Kun, Vice President of Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications

Although she could not make it to the venue, Prof. Isabelle Huault, Dean of emlyon business school, sent her best wishes to emlyon-BUPT GEMBA 2020 freshmen via video.

Prof. Huault pointed out that emlyon business school since its creation in 1872 has been driven by entrepreneurship and its strategies articulate around globalization, hybridization, digitalization, social and environmental responsibility, with research and academic excellence as top priorities.

Today, it has just become a major force in the world of business schools and is more than worthy of its place among the world's best educational institutions, which is among one of the business schools accredited by three international accreditations, AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA. Prof. Huault hoped the students to perform managerial practices, organizations and to act in a very sustainable way, which fits with emlyon’s pedagogy and the school's aim to develop our participants into Early Makers, because more than ever the managers and entrepreneurs of tomorrow will be makers and visionaries. She represented that emlyon will give them the opportunity to find their feet on the respect of family values, excellence, integrity, respect for others, diversity and sense of responsibility. From today, they will also become members of the alumni network, a network of more than 33,000 alumni from all over the world, which is characterized by solidarity and mutual help. She expected that their experience in the programs will be unforgettable, thanked them for having put their trust in emlyon, and wished them good luck.

▲ Isabelle Huault, Dean of emlyon business school

Prof. Jean-Francois Doulet, Commissioner of Higher Education and Humanity & Social Sciences of French Embassy in China, congratulated the freshmen on becoming members of emlyon-BUPT GEMBA family.

He noted that France's academic circles are rich and diverse, and emlyon business school enjoys a high international reputation. Founded in 1872, it is one of the most historical and prestigious business schools in France and continues to grow in France and across the world. It has maintained close relationship with China by setting up its campus in Shanghai and keeping stable expansion in China. Prof. Doulet stressed that emlyon-GUPT GEMBA Program will foster future-oriented business leaders and help them calmly meet challenges in a rapidly changing world.

▲ Jean-Francois Doulet, Commissioner of Higher Education and Humanity & Social Sciences of French Embassy in China

Later, Qi Junyu, representative of existing emlyon-GUPT GEMBA participants, shared her experience in study and learning at GEMBA.

She expressed that she was honored to make the speech on behalf of all participants, because of her gains and changes accomplished over the past two years at GEMBA. First of all, it changed her way of thinking, which helps her apply the learning to business management. And second, it also improved her body shape, thanks to the Gobi Challenge and other sports events. She advised the freshmen that no matter what their original intention is, it is important to empty themselves during the study and look at the world and life carefully.

▲ Qi Junyu, representative of existing emlyon-GUPT GEMBA participants

As representatives of emlyon-BUPT GEMBA Spring and Fall 2020 respectively, Bao Shuncang of Sichuan Changhong Jiahua Information Products Co., Ltd. and Wang Huimin of Amazon Technology Services (Beijing) Co., Ltd., the world's largest Internet company by market value, also revealed their voices.

Bao Shuncang believed that there is no end to learning and learning is a lifelong mission. Facing rapid development of information technology, he urgently needs systematic learning to lay a solid foundation, which is the pure intention that brought him back to campus for further study. Wang Huimin mentioned that in an era of great changes, the existing market and game rules are facing new impacts, which constrains personal development and challenges previous ideas and values. Both of them were confident that in the great atmosphere at BUPT and emlyon, they will surely re-recognize themselves and achieve breakthroughs by communicating with experts and scholars and colliding with elites from all walks of life. On behalf of GMEBA freshmen, they were committed to completing their future study with full enthusiasm and efforts and make collaborated progress with their peers.

▲ Bao Shunchang, representative of emlyon-BUPT GEMBA Spring 2020、Wang Huimin, representative of emlyon-BUPT GEMBA Fall 2020

Next, the leaders of both institutions awarded badges to the freshmen and took group photos. The loud oath of admission represented the freshmen's confidence in meeting the challenges. So far, the opening ceremony of emlyon-BUPT GEMBA Program came to a successful conclusion.

May emlyon-BUPT GEMBA 2020 participants set sail to a better future.