We were so happy and grateful we were allowed to visit Fudan University in Shanghai with our iEMFC students for their July 2023 seminar! We were all warmly welcomed as the second group of foreigners at Fudan after China started gladly receiving foreigners again from March 2023 onwards.

The students enjoyed a wonderful and exciting week of ‘Doing Business in China’ lectures. We also visited XJTLU Entrepreneur College in Taicang for one day. Every day focused on another topic, being ‘An Overview of the Chinese Economy’, ‘Leadership and Cross Culture Management’, ‘Entrepreneurship and International Business’, ‘Marketing in China; Challenges and Opportunities’ and ‘Managing Digitalizing Asia’. Expert speakers Eric Lodder (DSM), Martin Zhu (Marketing Force) and Cindy Zhao (FrieslandCampina), added their personal experiences to these topics. Much appreciated and very valuable!

We also visited various companies such as NIO, Tetra Pak, TMF Group, Willis Towers Watson and the Dutch Consulate, enjoyed a few cultural experiences and participated in some guided sightseeing (Yu garden, city tour, Shanghai Center Tower, Chinese tea drinking experience, special restaurants), to get to know, see and feel China’s beautiful and vibrant culture.

It was amazing to be here after four years and to discover a lot about Chinese social and business etiquette. We learned about the importance of relationships and connection (Guanxi), trust and face, being humble and to see and hear about the speed in China’s world and developments, and to understand the theory of the momentum (Shi).

Upon actively participating, engaging in discussions, and fostering interactivity throughout the first seminar week, the students were presented with a delightful Fudan certificate as a token of their achievement.

A special thank you to our students Cherrie Lu and Tianhao Hu for their help and advice, as well as to our dedicated contact person Jacky Mao and his team for making it the best seminar in a long time. Visiting another country for learning purposes (China, this time, which plays a crucial role in the world business-wise) truly adds value to the program. 
Goodbye, Shanghai; hopefully, we will meet in two years!

Click here to see a few pictures; group pictures are favorite in China! :-)