After I joined the BI-Fudan MBA program, many people asked me why I still decided to pursue a master degree, despite that I have already been a doctor. I think the main incentive was to step out of my comfortable zone like many other MBAer did. I am a biologist by training and I have received my Ph.D. in Germany. Later on, I joined one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in Shanghai. After spending 5 years in the R&D function, I realized that there was something missing in my professional career development. 

 

I thought that the first missing puzzle was the framework thinking of business and management. Since then, the idea to pursue a MBA was planted as a seed and spread like grass in my mind and I felt I would regret if I don’t follow my heart. Besides broadening the knowledge boundary, the other missing puzzle is to push the network boundary. The understanding of what other people are doing in different industry sectors, in different company functions and with different mindsets is intriguing to me. I thought all of this knowledge could be crucial for developing myself as a potential entrepreneur. 

After comparing different MBA programs, I finally chose BI-Fudan MBA, not only because it is taught in English and was recommended by several friends and former colleagues, but also because the EMBA-like course settings and the unique opportunity to study in Norway added another layer of value and matched my expectation perfectly.

 

The 2-year MBA journey kept me very busy, but it was fruitful and it’s all worth it. First of all, I have met many knowledgeable professors and learned systematically about business and management, from business strategy to operation, from business theories to real-life practice, from dealing with organizational change to managing a project. Many of the learnings can be well connected with daily work and establish the missing link between in-depth business/management knowledge and practical experience. Importantly, these fundamental knowledge serves as a strong basis for the knowledge expansion in the future. 

 

Second, I met many “adorable” classmates. We became good friends and made many good memories. I enjoyed a lot of weekends and evening time (even late nights) with group mates to discuss business cases. I remember lots of pleasant time with classmates in classrooms, restaurants, KTVs, theaters, and last but not least the graduation trip in Dali (unfortunately not in Oslo due to Covid-19 pandemic). More memorably, we have always integrated a lot of funny but meaningful and creative theater elements in our group presentations. 

 

Third, our program has built a strong alumni community. Since the very beginning of my MBA study, I joined the BI-Fudan MBA Alumni Choir, which is a very lovely group of music lovers from different classes. We have a regular training every week, have made several successful public performances and even won the first prize in a choir competition against choirs from other business schools. I have also joined the table tennis group and participated in FDSM MBA/EMBA table tennis champions. The common interests strengthen the connection between Alumni tightly.

 

Team sprite is one of the most important things I learned throughout my MBA journal. It started from the “Everest Simulation” at the orientation day. It was well presented in many group-works such as the group presentation in the course “Organizational Management and Control”, “Intra/Entrepreneurship and New Wealth Creation”. It was also embodied in our choir performances. And finally, the thesis was also a great team work. I think one main reason I could become the best student in our class, is due to the fact that I have luckily selected great teammates. I am proud to be a part of Class MBA32 and to be an alumnus of BI-Fudan MBA.

 

MBA is not the end of our formal education. It’s a start of another learning journey, a journey to become more professionally mature, more inclusive in team work, more acceptable to diversity. What we learned from each course is a good cornerstone for further learning in each subject. Stay curious and stay hungry! You will find a better yourself in the future.