Robby Zhang, 30, started to attend his MBA course at China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) in September, 2011. He worked as a petroleum engineer in the U.S. for five years before he returned to his hometown, Shanghai, in 2011.
He majored in physics at Fudan University in Shanghai and wants to be a manager in a multinational company after earning his MBA degree.

Why did you start to take the course?

After working in the U.S. for five years, I wanted to come back to my home town, Shanghai, and switch my career here. As I had no working experience in China, I made my mind to take the course to build network and get used to the life style here.

Why did you choose CEIBS?

First of all, CEIBS is simply the best Business School in China. CEIBS provides the best training in general management which could help me to achieve my future career path as a professional manager. Besides I was already got used to the Western education style, so I chose CEIBS as my first stop when I decide to return to China.

What is your favorite experience during the course?

Learning from opinions raised by professors and classmates is the most valuable experience. The professors always give us many insightful opinions when we analyze case studies. More importantly, we learn from our classmates, each of who was outstanding in their previous working field.

What did you earn from the course?

The professors always provide the big pictures of the business knowledge so we could catch up the current business affairs with those big pictures in a relatively short period of time. From an engineering background, I really appreciate the process.

Anything that you want for school to improve?

I want more interactions with the EMBA division of the school. We felt that we should elaborate the school’s resources and learn more from outside the classroom. Learning from the EMBA division would be a good channel. CEIBS is already working on a mentoring program, pairing MBA students with EMBA mentors. I think it really helps.

What is your favorite class and who is your favorite professor?

My interest in the course depends on the professors’ teaching style. One of my favorite classes is the Macroeconomic taught by Professor Xu Bin. We are really attracted by his logical thinking and interesting teaching style. When he tried to explain some abstruse subjects, he would always use some simple examples to crack the difficult formulas. For example, his analysis about Shanghai’s real estate marketing was interesting.

What is your long term goal?

Working as a general manager in a multinational company is my goal. As I worked in a multinational company in the U.S. for five years, I am more used to the international companies’ environment in terms of the corporate culture and leaders’ style.

Is the course helpful to achieve your goal?

The courses honed my ability in many aspects including leadership in a multicultural group, communication skills and skills to manage people in different situations. I think they will help me to become a competent manager in the future.

Can you give some advice to students preparing for the course?

Be aware of what you want to do and what you want to achieve upon graduation. The 18 month program is quite short, so it is better to figure out what your career expectation is before preparing to enter the course.