IBSS Successfully Held an IMBA Alumni Gathering

International Business School Suzhou (IBSS) held an alumni gathering for the IMBA (International Master of Business Administration) programme to celebrate the graduation ceremony of the class of 2024. The event attracted over 30 alumni from previous years as well as newly graduated ones, along with more than ten faculty and staff members from IBSS.

At the beginning of the event, Professor Hefei Wang, Associate Dean of Academic Engagement at IBSS, warmly welcomed everyone and introduced the recent development and prospects of the school. She emphasized that IBSS is committed to cultivating business elites with a global perspective and innovative thinking ability. She mentioned that as one of the flagship programmes of the school, IMBA has already trained many executive elites who have achieved remarkable success in various industries, and there are more young entrepreneurs incubating their own business brands. Students continue to cultivate in various fields using what they have learned, constantly realizing their personal value. This is the result of mutual achievement and motivation between IBSS and students.

Professor Hefei Wang

Subsequently, Dr Nuno da Camara, the director of the IMBA programme at IBSS, shared with everyone the developments that have been achieved since the programme was launched in 2014. He stated, “Over the past decade, the IMBA programme has produced 158 alumni. Through continuous communication and feedback from our alumni, the programme team has been continuously optimizing curriculum design, teaching methods, and practical activities to ensure students gain comprehensive and practical knowledge and skills in business studies. For example, we have added a course module on business ethics and responsibility to address ESG topics. The connections established through IMBA go beyond knowledge transfer and practical experience; they witness IBSS's growth together with everyone involved and maintain lifelong connections.”

Dr Nuno da Camara

Ms Lihua Cui, Business Engagement Manager at IBSS, also introduced the achievements and opportunities in school-industry cooperation. Within IBSS's extensive and diverse global alumni network, over 13,000 alumni from renowned multinational companies, financial institutions, and startups across various industries have provided valuable feedback and support to the school. They have played a crucial role in promoting good interaction and cooperative relationships with enterprises. Through its strong and extensive engagement network as well as its diverse and cutting-edge educational models, IBSS has achieved remarkable success in cultivating outstanding business talents. As more excellent graduates enter society and achieve success, IBSS will further demonstrate its influence and value in the field of business engagement on a global scale.

Ms Lihua Cui

Matthias Roth, an alumnus of the 2024 IMBA programme from Germany, has been living in China for nearly 20 years and considers Suzhou his second home. Despite having plans for further education, he had not found a desirable international program taught entirely in English until a friend of his - a guest lecturer at IBSS - recommended the IMBA programme at Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University. "This is exactly the ideal programme I have been searching for all these years. I really enjoy the campus environment at XJTLU and have had great interactions with professors and classmates, which made me feel that there is more value beyond just courses and degrees. During my studies, there happened to be a vacancy for a general manager position in my company. Combining my professional background with the advanced management knowledge and skills gained from studying IMBA, I successfully obtained this position." Roth happily shared.

Matthias Roth（Right）

Coincidentally, another alumnus from the class of 2024, Cheng Zhang, also achieved a professional breakthrough during his studies. He said, “After completing my undergraduate studies in the United States and returning to my hometown Suzhou for work, I went through a career transition from private enterprises to state-owned enterprises. I hope to continuously broaden the possibilities and diversify my future career development, and the IMBA programme aligns with my expectations. I highly value the teaching model of this programme because it resonates with my overseas study background and mindset.” He further added, “Although many people believe that working in state-owned enterprises does not require participation in an international MBA programme like IMBA, I think the corporate operation and management concepts taught in this programme are applicable anywhere. For state-owned enterprises, more and more returnees choose to join these companies and bring them fresh vitality for better internationalization. Additionally, numerous state-owned enterprises now face the need for transformation and expanding into overseas markets which requires talents with global management skills. In my learning process, I have successfully moved up from an ordinary position to a middle-level management position and believe that after this I will continue expanding my professional field - this is also what IMBA empowers me with.”

Mr CHeng Zhang（Right）

This gathering is not only a celebration for the graduating class of 2024, but also a comprehensive showcase of IBSS's educational achievements and the power of its alumni network. Through carefully designed courses and practical projects, IBSS has successfully shaped a group of business leaders with international perspectives and innovative abilities. The career accomplishments and personal growth stories of our alumni are closely intertwined with the continuous innovation and expansion of the institution. As more outstanding graduates enter society and achieve success, IBSS will continue to leverage its value and influence in the field of engagement, making contributions to global business development.