Professors from Tsinghua SEM held a discussion session with guests from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania about the Wharton Interactive Media Initiative (WIMI) on March 9, 2010.

WIMI is a research center focusing on interactive media. It achieves research data by building relationships with business partners, who in turn benefit from the analytical results. Meanwhile, WIMI is a platform that provides research opportunity and data resources for researchers with varied interest.

Participants from SEM include Associate Dean Professor ZHU Yan and Chair of the Department of Marketing Professor ZHAO Ping. Most of other Professors were also from the Department of Marketing. Guests from Wharton are Mr. Jeffrey Sheehan, Associate Dean for International Relations, Professor Eric Bradlow, Co-Director of WIMI, Professor Peter Fader, Co-Director of WIMI, and Mr. Steve Ennen, Managing Director of WIMI.

During the discussion, guests from Wharton introduced WIMI. Looking forward to re-build the same research mode in China, they consulted SEM Professors about possible participants, way of operation and local corporate relation development.

Professor ZHAO Ping then made an introduction of the Department of Marketing, especially the research areas of Professors, the China Business Research Center and the China Retail Research Center. He said, SEM is willing to provide supports for WIMI’s expansion, and is capable to identify proper participants, as well as connecting with required resources.

Several possible starting points of cooperation were raised during discussion, including the exchange of Ph. D. students and the practical tests of WIMI’s theoretical studies in China.