emlyon business school is pleased to announce that Nikola ZIVLAK has been appointed as Associate Dean for Programs and International Cooperation, emlyon Asia. This appointment recognizes Nikola’s outstanding contributions over the years and reflects the school’s strong confidence in his ability to further advance program development and deepen international cooperation.

Nikola ZIVLAK

Associate Dean for Programs & International Cooperation
emlyon Asia Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Since joining emlyon, Associate Dean ZIVLAK has played a pivotal role in the development and management of key initiatives at the Asia Campus. He has demonstrated exceptional strategic vision and execution in program management, cross-cultural collaboration, and the expansion of international partnerships. His efforts have been instrumental in enhancing the quality of teaching, improving student experience, and strengthening the School’s regional brand presence, laying a solid foundation for emlyon’s growth in Asia.

In the realm of international cooperation, he has spearheaded and facilitated several landmark achievements, including the successful launch of the Harbin Institute of Technology–emlyon business school Big Data Management and Applications undergraduate program (4+0 dual bachelor’s degree); the establishment of the 2+2 Global Bachelor of Business Administration joint program with Ton Duc Thang University in Vietnam; and the steady development of the Asian Campus Semester (ACS) program. He has played a key role in establishing the emlyon Asia Career Center and has actively expanded collaborations with universities and institutions across China and Asia, making a significant contribution to the school’s regional internationalization strategy while also strengthening ties between France and Asia.

In his new role, he will continue to work closely with emlyon’s global teams to implement the 2030 strategic roadmap across Asia, accelerate the growth of the program portfolio, and expand the international collaboration network with higher education institutions and corporate partners.

emlyon business school extends its sincere appreciation to Associate Dean ZIVLAK for his dedication and achievements to date and looks forward to his continued impact in this new role.

Please join us in congratulating Associate Dean Nikola ZIVLAK on this well-deserved promotion!

About Associate Dean Nikola ZIVLAK

Dr. Nikola Zivlak earned his PhD degree in Business Management at Donghua University in Shanghai, at Glorious Sun School of Business and Management, where he was a researcher founded by Chinese Government Scholarship. Before that Dr. Zivlak has obtained his master degree in Industrial Engineering and Management.

Prior to joining emlyon business school, Dr. Zivlak served as an Assistant Professor in one of the world’s most internationally oriented business programs at Donghua University in Shanghai, China, where he has been based since 2007.

Dr. Zivlak has academic experience of more than 20 years as a professor and a researcher. Besides his academic work, we also possess practical experience as a consultant and an executive trainer for various industries, working within multinational teams. He worked with people from over 100 countries.

Dr. Zivlak is one of the founders of Belt and Road Institute in Serbia, member of China-CEEC Think Tanks Network at Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) and ESTIEM Alumni. At the same time, he is also a foreign consultant for China Association for Small and Medium Enterprises (CASME) in Beijing and member of European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) Peer Review Team (PRT).

He has lectured and cooperated with numerous universities in China and Europe including Shanghai Jiaotong University, East China Normal University, Beijing Normal University, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai University of International Business and Economics, ESSCA School of Management and Duale Hochschule Baden-Württemberg (DHBW) in Germany.

Dr. Zivlak has got an extensive knowledge about Chinese industry and high sensitivity to Chinese society. Indeed, he organized research and visited and cooperated with numerous companies in China.

His passion lies in international education, and he specializes in designing and managing high-level educational programs between Europe and Asia.