NEOMA Business School starts the new academic year in China

Published on 18 September 2020 by Dominique

• International network

On 18 September 2020, the joint programme in e-commerce and International Business by NEOMA Business School and Nankai University began its academic year in China, on Nankai campus. 40 Chinese students, recruited via the very selective GAOKAO system, embarked on this Double Degree Bachelor programme, chosen by the Chinese Ministry of Education, and based on the expertise of both partner institutions and on that of many Chinese and French groups in e-business. This new start is part of the relationship NEOMA has enjoyed over the years with China and more specifically with Nankai University.

A new era in NEOMA’s internationalisation strategy in China

In September, a cohort of 40 Chinese students, recruited via the very selective GAOKAO system, joined the Nankai campus in Tianjin, to follow the joint programme in e-commerce and International Business launched by NEOMA and Nankai University. “We are delighted to be launching this first cohort of students,” says Delphine Manceau, Dean of NEOMA. “This new joint programme is fully in line with our internationalisation strategy that seeks to base itself on a powerful network of academic partnerships, bringing together the best academic players in each area. This new programme, selected by the Chinese Ministry of Education, constitutes a new stage in achieving our development ambitions on the continent of Asia.”

This double degree in e-commerce and International Business is a 4-year Bachelor course delivered entirely in English and selected by the Chinese Ministry of Education. It is jointly designed and led by professors from both partners, and will enable students to obtain a Nankai-NEOMA double degree. At the end of the course, the young graduates will therefore hold both a Bachelor degree in e-business from Nankai and the Global BBA from NEOMA.

The launch of this joint programme with Nankai University once again illustrates the special relationship between the prestigious Chinese university and NEOMA, and also represents real recognition of the School’s excellence by the Chinese government. “The Chinese Ministry of Education is particularly cautious about this type of collaboration, reserving it to a very small number of foreign establishments. We are therefore honoured by the trust placed in NEOMA today on the occasion of this first joint start to the new academic year,” adds Delphine Manceau. “We have a firm belief in the potential for educational collaboration between France and China and this joint programme allows NEOMA to play its role to the full in this academic collaboration between our two countries.”

Constructing a cross-cutting vision of e-business between China and France

The capacity to innovate, strategic vision and technical skills relating to e-commerce and International Business are the main themes of this joint Franco-Chinese programme based on the recognised expertise of the teaching body of NEOMA and that of Nankai in the field of distribution, innovation management and e-business. “This Franco-Chinese programme focusses on the major issues posed today by digital and e-business, with many key players on the world stage being Chinese, such as Alibaba, Tik Tok or Wechat, to mention just a few, and the BATX now referring to them. That’s why it seemed important to us to develop a programme like this with our Chinese partners,” highlights Delphine Manceau. “With this cutting-edge course we are training the talent of tomorrow to be capable of guiding the digital transformation of organisations and supporting them in the challenges imposed by a globalised business world and new consumer practices.”

The students will study on the campus of Nankai University for the first three years of the course, with teaching provided jointly by the teaching staff of both institutions. In the fourth year, the cohort will come to the NEOMA campuses to complete their training. “Spending this last year in France has a dual advantage : it’s a chance for the Chinese students to enhance their career pathway with a real immersive experience abroad as well as the opportunity for the NEOMA community to be enriched by the arrival of these international students with state-of-the-art expertise.”

At the end of this Bachelor course, the double degree Chinese students who wish to continue their studies in France will be able to join on the Masters of Science at NEOMA, the fifth year of the TEMA course or other NEOMA programmes.

A special and historic partnership with Nankai

This joint programme reinforces the historic links of NEOMA Business School with the University of Nankai. In 2013, the first Business Confucius Institute was launched at NEOMA, run jointly with Nankai University with the aim of strengthening cultural and economic exchanges between France and China. In November 2018, the two partners launched the joint research centre of Nankai University Business School – NEOMA Business School, further developing the synergies between the two institutions. This is devoted to launching joint research projects, by facilitating collaboration between members of the teaching body of both Schools.