Fudan EMBA Programs Share Top 50 Glory in the Latest FT Ranking

SHANGHAI, Oct. 18, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- In the latest FT global EMBA rankings published on October 17, four programs from Fudan University's School of Management (hereafter referred to as FDSM) have all made the list with a top 50 placement. This effectively put FDSM on a par with Kellogg School of Management from Northwestern University -- a leader of EMBA education in the United States -- which also saw top 100 finishes for its four programs.

FDSM not only precedes all other mainland contenders in its introduction to these rankings. It also tops the heap with the most candidates fielded for them. Moreover, the positions of the school's individual programs remain more or less unchanged for five consecutive years, while its overall ranking has been steadily and gradually improving. Such achievements are a clear and strong reflection of continued progress made in the school's comprehensive strength as well as its emergence as a full-fledged world leader in provision of quality business education.

Presence in numerous sub-rankings: A systemic and objective test of strength

Notably, FDSM not just participated in a number of sub-rankings, its students surveyed for this occasion also happen to be the most numerous. Given the FT requirements, one can see that graduates from FDSM's four programs outnumber alumni of similar endeavors undertaken by other institutions. A total of more than 600 graduates from FDSM are involved in producing the rankings, the largest student body ever of all the top 100 finishers. That its four EMBAs share a top 50 placement is a systemic and objective example of the quality education on offer at the school. Of them all, there are wholly homegrown, Chinese-only EMBA and dual degree programs partnered with overseas counterparts. This demonstrates that the school's commitment to internationalization and global cooperation has been conspicuously fruitful. What's more, it's also a sign of great strides that have been made in nurturing talent on its own.

Lu Xiongwen, dean of FDSM, observed that "We don't participate in the rankings for the sake of a better position. We see the rankings as an opportunity to take stock of our overall education. To really train high-caliber talent that the Chinese economy needs, one has to be imbued with the correct education ideals, a sense of destiny and responsibility."

Authentic and trustworthy: continued and stable increase in quality

An overview of the history of FDSM's participation in the rankings over the past decade suggests strong consistency and stability in its position, which underscores the verifiability, reliability and trustworthiness of the results. As early as 2012, when FDSM fielded for the first time a handful of candidates for the FT global rankings, the school stressed that "we are not trying to show off with a select few programs of ours; instead, we are putting our multiple EMBAs and all our alumni within three years of commencement to a test, to let them be judged in front of global authority." These are the values FDSM has consistently sworn by as something fundamental to its quest for global rankings. Throughout the years, in strict compliance with FT global EMBA ranking rules and due procedures, the school has submitted authentic information and subjected itself to evaluations by international authoritative institutions in an objective, truthful and all-around manner. This has won it global accolades.

Today, the four FDSM EMBA programs named in the rankings include Fudan-Washington EMBA, Fudan's own EMBA, Fudan-BI EMBA and Fudan-HKU IMBA. According to the latest results, Fudan-Washington EMBA finished 5^th globally, the fifth time it has made into the top 10 in five consecutive years. It tops the domestic heap in terms of average standing on China's mainland. And its graduates are the second highest-paid globally and are top earners in mainland China.

FDSM's own EMBA came in 40^th in FT global ranking, beating all other mainland competitors on four criteria of internationalization. The Fudan-BI MBA was one place lower globally, and stood at 5^th in the sub-ranking of global half-time MBAs. Its alumni enjoy the fourth biggest income gains in the world. The Fudan-HKU IMBA ranked 42^nd globally, 6^th in the category of half-time MBA programs, and their alumni report a rate of income growth that is the third fastest in the world.

As the quality of its education receives wide kudos in the world, FDSM has been improving and cementing its position and influence in global academic ranking as well. In the five years since 2011, the school's contribution to global research, as measured by papers published in UTD journals, has helped it to settle for a placement of 99^th in the world, 10^th in Asia and 1^st on the mainland, respectively.

Thanks to the simultaneous growth of education and research, FDSM has entered the ranks of Asia's leading business schools, a development that set the stage for its future evolution into one of the world's first-tier institutions. In the future, FDSM shall continue to fulfill its destiny, with strengthened efforts to improve its education quality and research prowess, and it also will dedicate itself to nurturing a larger pool of internationally competitive talent to help power the Chinese economy.

SOURCE School of Management, Fudan University