9 Reasons for an MBA in Beijing China 2016-04-26 17:15:13

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9 Reasons for an MBA in Beijing China
intern journalist of whichmba.net

Jennifer Xu

intern journalist of whichmba.net

Beijing, the capital of People’s Republic of China, with its rich history as well as the 21st Century vitality, is very attractive to people all over the world. Although for quite a while during Qing Dynasty, its door was closed to the rest part of the world. Nowadays, however, it has never been more internationally connected. Many MBA programs based in Beijing realized the importance of globalization and accept international applicants. But why? Why should people take MBA class in Beijing, China?


Here are 9 reasons for an MBA experience in Beijing.

1.The Booming Chinese Economy

Every since the Chinese Economy Reform in the 1970s, Chinese business has been growing at an amazing rate. Opening up its close door economy means a lot both to China and to the world. Chinese market share of export goods grew almost 8 percent during 2001-2013 and is continuing to grow. In 2010, China’s GDP came second in the world’s ranking for the first time and is predicted to exceed USA’s GDP before 2025. In 2015, China’s share of Global GDP is 16.32%, totaling 11,385 billion US dollars. In the same year, China became USA’S top and EU’s second trading partner. More recently, Chinese currency, RMB, became part of IMF’s Special Drawing Right Basket at the end of 2015. “We forecast China to contribute more than before to global output.” the IMF states. 



If you plan to become part of this booming economy, an MBA in Beijing, the nation's political, cultural and educational center, will be very helpful.



2.The Special Role of Beijing in the Chinese Economy

Beijing has been the political center of the country for much of the past eight centuries. Likewise, it holds a special position in Chinese economy. Due to the concentration of state owned enterprises in the national capital, Beijing in 2013 had more Fortune Global 500 Company headquarters than any other city in the world, including Sinopec, China Mobile and Bank of China. It is home to China's most powerful officials and the leaders of its increasingly global state-owned enterprises. Moreover, Beijing ranks 9th in the world in the International Financial Centres Development Index published by the Xinhua News Agency, Chicago Mercantile Exchange and Dow Jones & Company, and 29th in the world in the Global Financial Centres Index. The city also ranks No. 1 in the number of billionaire. In 2012, PricewaterhouseCoopers rated Beijing's overall economic influence as No. 1 in China.


Economy is deeply connected with the politics in China. And Beijing, as the political center, has massive resources. Compared with Shanghai, which is more connected to the west and focus more on private economy, Beijing is totally different. An experience in Beijing is a must if you want to do business in China.



3.Beijing’s Political Influence

As mentioned before, Beijing is the political center of the country with 1.4 billion populations. Former Chairman Mao Zedong announced the creation of the People's Republic of China from atop Tiananmen. As the capital and one of the four direct-controlled municipalities, Beijing received a lot of attention from the central government with many special policies regarding tax, tariff to attract investment and so forth. In 2006, the government identified six high-end economic output zones around Beijing as the primary engines for economic growth.



For MBA students, Beijing would be the perfect place to study the impact of government policies on corporate growth strategies, both at home and abroad. Learning the relationship between government, state-owned companies and economy would also be part of the programs and is very helpful for people who want to do business in China.



4.Beijing as the Financial Center of China

Since the deep connection of economy and politics in China, Beijing also has a special role regarding the financial issues of China. Beijing is home to many important organizations including China Banking Regulatory Commission, The People’s Bank of China, China Securities Regulatory Commission and China Insurance Regulatory Commission. A businessman needs to learn about these organizations in order to success in China. And thus, Beijing would be the perfect place to study.



5.The Culture of Beijing

Beijing’s culture as well as its rich history, is an important part of the whole Chinese culture and has a deep influence on the rest part of China. Since Beijing has been the capital of China for a long time, the people of Beijing are more aware and concerned of things happening within the country and around the world. Compared with the people from the southern part of China who are good with details, Beijing people tend to focus more on bigger pictures. 



Moreover, many schools that offer MBA programs, like Peking University and Tsinghua University are among the first Chinese universities and thus have a long history and tremendous impact on the society. An MBA in Beijing gives you an insight to the culture, which is very important for a career or maybe a life in China.


6. Great MBA Programs Basing in Beijing

Just like the recent thriving Chinese economy, the modern management education began to emerge only in the recent decades. In 1991, a committee on Academic Degree authorized nine universities to offer trial MBA programs with 86 students enrolling in total. Since then, business education has developed significantly. Today, there are 236 MBA programs in Mainland China. And among these programs, some of the best and oldest ones are based in Beijing, including Peking University Guanghua School of Management MBA Program and Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management MBA Program. These schools are among the top universities in China, since Beijing is the educational center of China and the MBA programs, as part of these amazing schools, enjoy abundant resources and quite a lot attention.

The application process of MBA programs may vary among schools. But usually, you will need to have: 1) A bachelor's or equivalent 2) Work experience 3) Proof of language proficiency (TOEFL/ IELTS) 4) GMAT / GRE score 5) Official university transcript 6) Resume 7) Personal Statement 8) Two reference letters. And after the submission of these materials, there usually will be an interview in English.

The tuition varies enormously among schools, from USD 15,000 to USD 60,000. So it’s best to check the school websites.

 

Two of the Best Programs in the Country are here in Beijing

-Beijing International MBA at Peking University/ Peking University Guanghua School of Management


These two all have great programs and are part of  China’s oldest and most prestigious institution, Peking University. Beijing International MBA at Peking University (BiMBA) is located at the former site of the Qing Dynasty imperial gardens. It is the first joint international MBA program in Beijing approved by the Chinese government and has enjoyed NO.1 rankings several times as China's Most Valued Business School by Fortune and Forbes. Its MBA program is the only one in China holding all three major international business school accreditations - AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA. BiMBA also enjoys the resources of China Center for Economic Research at Peking University (CCER), National School of Development at Peking University (NSD) and Vlerick Business School. While Guanghua School of Management is accredited by AACBS and EQUIS and offers 3 different types of program. The courses are designed to instill in our students a profound understanding of the complex Chinese business environment with the advantage of the numerous international opportunities offered in conjunction with several other renowned universities around the globe.



-Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management


Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management is also accredit by AACBS and EQUIS, offering students with an immersive experience of China. Students will develop China roots while the world-leading faculty and diverse student body guide them with global vision. The school offers Part-time MBA Program, and three dual degree programs in collaboration with MIT, HEC Paris and Columbia. Tsinghua University-MIT Global MBA program fosters the entrepreneurial spirits of students by providing access to programs and classes geared for the innovative entrepreneur. Not only do students have access to renowned faculty who specialize in entrepreneurial development, they also have programs like Tsinghua’s X-Lab which helps turn an entrepreneur’s vision into reality.


One more thing about Tsinghua: the China National MBA Education Supervisory Committee, a national steering committee of MBA programs which leads the development of Chinese MBA programs, is located on Tsinghua campus, which gives Tsinghua University some advantage.


7.A Bright Future

As mentioned before, Beijing serves as headquarters for many top multinationals and state-owned enterprises, and has become a frequent stopping-off point for economists and thinkers from the U.S., Europe, and the rest of Asia. With an MBA degree from a Beijing University, you will have a bright future ahead of you. There are endless job opportunities in the Fortune 500 companies as well as local Chinese companies. Since Beijing is the capital of China, many of the companies focus the marketing strategy of China or Asia and corporates’ relationships with the Chinese government. So if you choose to work in these companies, many positions will be about public relations, strategy development and governmental affairs.



Or, you could start your own business in Beijing. Unlike Shanghai, where more people prefer working in big firms, Beijing has a stronger culture in entrepreneurship. A developing city with such vast population and landscape means many opportunities. And many MBA programs have specially designed courses helping students launch their own business in the seemingly complicated Chinese business environment.


8.Zhongguancun: the Silicon Valley of China

Located in in Haidian District, the northwestern part of Beijing, Zhongguancun (中关村)is popularly known as the Silicon Valley of China, providing many opportunities to people with an MBA degree from a Beijing University. Peking University, Tsinghua University, Chinese Academy of Science and dozens of other top universities in China are really close, providing talented minds to this thriving area. Throughout the 1980s and still today, Zhongguancun was known as "electronics avenue," because of its connections to information technology and the preponderance of stores along a central, crowded street. Many world-renowned technology companies built their Chinese headquarters in Zhongguancun, such as Google, Intel, AMD, Oracle Corporation, Motorola, Sony, and Ericsson. Microsoft has built its Chinese research headquarters in the park that costs $280 million. Such an area can’t be found anywhere else in China and is a great place to launch a career in, especially for those who have technology related expertise.



9.A Convenient and Colorful Life

Also the air pollution and sand storm in Beijing can get pretty bad, and foreigners tend to get a little overwhelmed by this crowded city when they first arrive, for a foreign student, Beijing is still one of the best cities to live in in China. And don’t worry, the government is doing everything they can to improve the AQI and we’ve seen some progress.


With Beijing’s well-planned public transportation system, there is no need to get a car. Beijing-Capital International Airport is one of the busiest airports in the world and has direct flights to many cities in other countries. 



Learning Chinese would be a good choice, but most Beijing people speak at least a little bit of English and are all willing to help if you need something.

Things are not that expensive. 5 US dollars can get you a pretty decent meal and you don’t even need to leave a tip. An apartment usually costs around 400 US dollars per month. And usually one can live comfortably on about 600 US dollars per month.

As to the food, many people from other countries fall in love with Chinese food during their stay in Beijing. China is a big country with many different cuisines. Just try a few and maybe you will found the right one. But even if you don’t, there are tons of great western restaurants in Beijing (many of them are run by foreigners who fell in love with this country and started their business here) and supermarkets with imported goods if you prefer to cook your own meal.



As to leisure time, there are so many things going on in Beijing and you will never feel bored. Teahouses, temple fairs, Peking Opera and Hutong tours are all options if you want to learn more about the traditional Chinese culture. And don’t miss the famous spots like Tianmen Square, the Forbidden City and the Great Wall. And with many western art exhibitions, concerts and movies, you can still feel connected to the western if you are homesick.

 

Here is a partial list of some great MBA Programs in Beijing. Click the name of the program for more information.


Beijing Full-time MBA Programs in English

1. Peking University Guanghua School of Management MBA Program

2. Renmin University of China School of Business MBA Program

3. Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business (CKGSB) MBA Program

4. University of International Business and Economics Business School MBA Program

5. Peking University Beijing International MBA Program (BiMBA)

Beijing Part-time MBA Programs in English

1. Peking University Beijing International Part-time MBA Program (BiMBA)

2. Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management MBA Program

Beijing EMBA Programs in English

1. Tsinghua- INSEAD EMBA Program (TIEMBA)

2. Guanghua - Kellogg EMBA Program

3. University of Maryland Robert. H Smith School of Business MBA Program


For more information, please email ying.zhao@whichmba.net   or visit http://www.whichmba.net/business.do?actionId=Index&languageVersion=EN


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