On November 25, 2019, Mansfield Freeman Chair Professor BAI Chong-En, Dean of Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management (Tsinghua SEM), invited students from the Tsinghua Global MBA Program Class of 2021 to the Afternoon Tea with the Dean. During this meeting, he shared his thoughts regarding trends in the Chinese economy and Tsinghua SEM’s strategies in the midst of many technological changes.

The session opened with a discussion on the direction of the Chinese economy. Dean BAI shared his insights by identifying two trends in the foreseeable future: that consumption will come to occupy a larger share of the economy (with consumption of higher-end products increasing even faster), and that customer demand for services, especially financial services and elderly care services, are skyrocketing. As the Chinese economy has seen remarkable growth and change during the past decade, needs of the customers have also grown and changed as well.

But how should Tsinghua position itself and adapt to the changing world?

We have been in the midst of a whirlwind of evolutions, said Dean BAI, in response to students’ questions about the direction and development of school curriculum. New and fascinating technologies, including but not limited to blockchain, smart healthcare, and AI, are brought forth every day. The world is a fluid thing; change continues to happen and at a faster rate than ever. To reflect such fast pace of change and maintain Tsinghua SEM’s involvement and dedication to educating the world’s future business leaders, the School is actively involved in discussions with global corporations for joint classes regarding new and relevant topics. Tsinghua SEM has previously hosted the Innovation and Entrepreneurship course with Facebook and Bytedance, as well as the Leadership Series from McKinsey. Students will be able to join more exciting classes next year.

When one student mentioned that the GMBA Class of 2021 is almost equally split in gender, Dean BAI emphasized the need for strong female leadership and Tsinghua’s dedication and support to empowering women. He said the school is actively seeking more female members for the Advisory Board, and encouraged students to reach out to female leaders through our Alumni Mentors Program.

They also discussed in-depth about curriculum design, course selection, career development, admissions, and other aspects.