The EMBA Program welcomes 217 senior managers to join the 2010 fall semester class. They come from various backgrounds, with an average age of 41 and an average work experience of 21 years.

The coming of 2010 new students brings the total number of Tsinghua EMBA students to over 3,000.

The percentage of females in new EMBA students sees a sharp increase in comparison with previous years.

Dean QIAN Yingyi talking to students on the opening ceremony

An opening ceremony was held at SEM. On the ceremony Professor QIAN Yingyi, Dean of SEM, introduced five features of Tsinghua EMBA: an outstanding faculty team, extensive international cooperation, careful curriculum design, strict education management, and a strong alumni network. He said, the 2010 EMBA students are lucky to come to Tsinghua campus just before the centenary celebration of the university and at a time when the GDP of China is to become second in the world in 2010. He then stressed the indispensable effect of entrepreneurship in boosting continuing economic development. “The entrepreneurial spirit is of most supreme importance to ensure an enterprise's strength and vigor,” said QIAN Yingyi.

New students talked about their reasons for choosing Tsinghua EMBA and their expectations for the Program. Appreciating the spirit of Tsinghua, CHU Chengping, Deputy Director of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, said: “the EMBA experience in Tsinghua does not only mean the learning of knowledge, but also spiritual and moral disciplines. We shall graduate with proper ideals, a sense of responsibility and a strong mind to weather pressure.”

“Economics is dramatic, with all different perspectives and voices, while still close to daily life,” said SHI Xiaonuo, a host of CCTV, the only female student speaking at the ceremony, “…I always want a gate leading me to a more thorough understanding of Chinese economy. Today I know the gate is Tsinghua EMBA.”

Professor LIAO Li, Associate Dean of SEM, Director of the EMBA Program, speaking at the welcome buffet

After the ceremony was a welcome buffet themed “Moonlight upon the Lotus Hall,” a name adopted from a famous piece of writing picturing the lotus pool in Tsinghua. Faculty and staff members reviewed the history of both the university and the EMBA education, and introduced the executive details of the Program over the buffet.

Joining Tsinghua Campus with the EMBA students were also 71 new members of the Tsinghua EMBA-Citigroup Scholarship Media Training Program. Students of the class include professionals from major media in China as well as foreign media employees stationed in Beijing.

Students at the welcome buffet