Tsinghua MBA Program Office 

In the fall of 2014, Tsinghua University assisted in the creation of alumni groups in Korea and Singapore.  The Tsinghua MBA Alumni

Association Korea Chapter, the first overseas chapter of Tsinghua MBA Alumni Association and the 14^th of its kind in China, was founded on October 26 2014, with Mr. Choi Cheol (Class of 2001) as its first president. The inaugurating conference for the Tsinghua SEM Southeast Asian Alumni Association Singapore Chapter, MBA Alumni Association Singapore Chapter, and EMBA Singapore Students Association was held on November 16, 2014 in the Administration Building of Singapore Management University. These chapters are indicative of the global influence of the Tsinghua School of Economics and Management.

“There have been 170 Korean Tsinghua MBA Alumni and students excelling in various sectors in both China and Korea. The founding of the Tsinghua MBA Alumni Association Korea Chapter would not only support the overseas alumni’s career development but also provide a well-organized platform to serve alumni better,” said Professor Li Jinliang in his remarks at the Korea conference. With solidified data and examples, the professor went on to illustrated the elementary features of China’s economic growth at the current stage, and shared his insights on the status quo of global financial integration and its connection with China’s economic development.

Choi Cheol, the first president of the Korean Chapter, shared his experience attending the Tsinghua MBA Alumni Council Members Meeting in Suzhou this August. He considered his study at Tsinghua University as a valuable asset for life, and highlighted the Tsinghua Alumni Association’s significant role in strengthening Korean students’ connections with other Tsinghua alumni from various industries and areas. These connections have especially helped alumni starting up their own businesses or pursuing career development in China, and have also further promoted international communication and cooperation. Choi also proposed suggestions for future work by the Korea Chapter.

Singapore Minister ZHANG Sile delivered his address as the first speaker at the Singapore conference. He spoke of Singapore-China relations, indicating that the development of Singapore, particularly the economic front, was closely linked with China. He also conveyed his congratulations to the founding of Tsinghua SEM Southeast Asian Alumni Association and Singapore Chapter, which he expects will promote the economic development of both countries and expand the trade cooperation between China and Singapore through an integration of talents.

Participants listened attentively to Dean QIAN’s briefing on the 15th Tsinghua SEM Advisory Board Meeting held in October 2014, which was attended by Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, Jack Ma, Executive Chairman of Alibaba and Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Facebook, among many other world business leaders. From Dean QIAN’s remarks, participants also learned about SEM’s latest developments, such as the undergraduate education reform that won first prize in the state-level national teaching award in 2014, the outstanding progress that the innovative entrepreneurial education platform x-lab has achieved, the fundraising and construction planning of the new teaching building, and the creation of alumni associations organized for different programs and regions.

“The following years will witness China’s restructuring and the world’s transformation, which is the best opportunity for Tsinghua SEM for its future development. Let’s make joint efforts with all faculty and alumni to embrace SEM’s bright prospects for the next ten years or even thirty years,” TAN Zhiyong, President of Singapore Alumni Association of Tsinghua University, said in his address. He stated that SEM has created a historical precedent in establishing alumni associations that are the best organized ones among those of all faculties of Tsinghua University. CHEN Dong, Vice President and Secretary-General of Tsinghua SEM Hong Kong Alumni Association, SEM’s first alumni association established outside the mainland China, reiterated that the Hong Kong Alumni Association would like to make joint efforts with Southeast Asian Alumni Association to create more opportunities for communication and cooperation between alumni of both regions.