​2023CHEMBA项目开学典礼致辞 ——明尼苏达大学卡尔森管理学院Jamie院长开学典礼致辞稿

Dean Li, Chairman Huang, Director Lu, Professor Lin, Simon Hu, distinguished faculty members and leaders, honored guests, and our newest cohort of China Executive MBA students.

Good afternoon! 大家好!

Thank you Ally and Stephen for the kind introduction and warm welcome.

It is an honor and a privilege to be here with all of you on the campus of the esteemed Lingan College of Sun Yat-sen University in the beautiful city of Guangzhou as we celebrate the future of the China Executive MBA program. Guangzhou, with its rich history of international trade, its vibrant culture, and the region’s rapid economic growth, is an ideal backdrop for cultivating cross-cultural ties and driving advances in business education.

My hearty congratulations to our new CHEMBA students on taking this significant step in your professional and personal growth. Preparing students for the world of global business is a key pillar of the Carlson School’s mission and identity since our founding more than a century ago. The foundation of your Carlson School of Management MBA degree will equip you with advanced business knowledge, leadership skills, and an enhanced global perspective.

My own global perspective has been enriched over the past week as this is my first visit to China and to Lingnan College. The warmth and generosity with which we have been welcomed has been incredible. Since landing a few days ago, I’ve been extremely impressed by the dynamic, fast-paced business environment that co-exists alongside deep traditions of warm hospitality and genuine human connection. I have been struck by how that mirrors what Lingnan College and the Carlson School have achieved through academic partnership – that is, forging lasting friendships and a sense of community while, simultaneously, advancing global business practice. I’ve heard a number of alumni, faculty, and staff refer to CHEMBA as a family – the CHEMBA family. CHEMBA is not just a program or a degree; rather it is an experience and a network that endures. This is a remarkable achievement; a credit to those who came before you, an expectation we have of you going forward, and, I believe, unparalleled in the Executive MBA space.

China has been, and will continue to be, vital to the strategic international reach of the Carlson School and the University of Minnesota. We may be nearly 7,000 miles apart, but there is a significant history between the University and China. It started in 1914 when the first Chinese students enrolled. Today, the University community includes more than 3,000 current students and scholars from Greater China and thousands more alumni. We have research and exchange partnerships with many of China's top universities, and in 2009, we opened our first international office in Beijing. World-renowned university faculty members are working with Chinese researchers to address some of the world’s most pressing problems.

The Carlson School is proud of our enduring partnership of more than twenty years with Lingnan College of Sun Yat-sen University. The CHEMBA program was launched in 2001 as one of the first programs of its kind in China. Since then, over 600 talented, globally-minded business leaders have graduated from the program. As we come together, I want to recognize the significance of this intersection between the experienced wisdom and accomplishments of our CHEMBA alumni and the boundless potential of our newest CHEMBA students. The CHEMBA program is designed to propel business professionals to take their careers to new heights and drive change in their respective industries. This inauguration marks not only the beginning of an educational program for you, but also the forging of partnerships and cross-cultural ties that will shape your future as global business leaders.

I count it a tremendous privilege to join a CHEMBA inauguration so early in my tenure as Dean of the Carlson School of Management. I joined the Carlson School as Dean in July of this year, just 110 days ago, after more than two decades at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business. I grew up in a small town in rural northern Indiana. My dad was a high school English teacher and my mom was an entrepreneur. From them I learned the value of education and hard work, which have deeply informed my life and life’s work.

I was drawn to the Carlson School because of its outstanding faculty, location in a dynamic business community, strong reputation, and what I believe is the best undergraduate curriculum in the United States. While I was also somewhat aware of the school’s international presence, as I learned more during the interview process, my transition, and while on the job, I was deeply impressed with the breadth and depth of all we do around the world. I am very proud of the international opportunities we offer our students. In fact, you may not realize that the Carlson School was the very first public business school in the U.S. to require its students to have an international experience to graduate.

That history and commitment to international engagement shines. After I accepted the Dean position, several international education professionals sought me out to sing the praises of the Carlson School’s commitment to providing students a global experience. That dedicated pursuit of international learning and partnership made it clear to me then, and more so now, that we prepare our students to be global citizens so their horizons have broadened and they have the skills to engage effectively with cultures different from their own, to navigate new contexts, situations, and languages. These skills are genuinely fundamental for future business leaders. They are also skills business leaders need, no matter where they are located. By joining the CHEMBA program, you will deepen these skills yourselves.

People love the Carlson School and cherish their time with us. I’ve been struck by how deeply felt that is in the Twin Cities but also here in China. The alumni and supporters we have here are doing amazing things, and we’re so proud to be a part of their journey. My hope is you will feel just as strongly about your transformative educational experience.

As we look to the future of the CHEMBA program, the Carlson School is committed to building an even stronger partnership with Lingnan College. In an increasingly competitive environment and crowded MBA space, we must continue to recruit the best executive business students and provide them with a superior MBA education.

In closing, I would like to thank the entire leadership and staff of Lingnan College and the CHEMBA program for their dedication and commitment, with special thanks to Dean Li, Associate Dean Liu, Assistant Dean Liu, CHEMBA Co-Academic Directors Professor Lin and Associate Dean Parente, CHEMBA Executive Director Susie Yu, and all of the CHEMBA staff who work so diligently. I look forward to a long and fruitful partnership between our two institutions.

Thank you all. 谢谢!

李善民院长、黄毅书记、卢宇彤处长、林江教授、胡勇先生、各位杰出的领导、贵宾和教职员工们、校友们、以及我们最新一期CHEMBA项目学生们，大家下午好：

非常感谢主持人刘静Ally和邓文礼Stephen的热情欢迎和介绍。

能够与大家一起来到中山大学岭南学院这所位于美丽广州的优秀学院，共同庆祝中美合作EMBA项目的未来，我深感荣幸。广州拥有丰富的国际贸易历史、活跃的文化以及这个地区迅速的经济增长,是培养跨文化纽带和推动商业教育进步的理想背景。

我衷心祝贺我们新的CHEMBA学生迈出职业生涯和个人成长的重要一步。培养学生具备参与全球商业的能力，是卡尔森管理学院建校一百多年以来的核心使命和特色之一。卡尔森管理学院工商管理硕士学位的基础，将会提供给你们先进的商业知识、领导技能和全球视野的加强。

过去的一周，我首次访问中国和中山大学岭南学院，这极大地丰富了我的全球视野。我们受到的热情款待令人难以置信。自几天前降落后，我对这里动态、快节奏的商业环境与深厚的热情好客和真诚的人际关系并存印象深刻。这令我想到岭南学院和卡尔森管理学院通过学术合作所实现的——就是在推动商业实践的进步的同时,也建立持久的友谊和社区意识。我听到许多校友、教职员工把CHEMBA称为一个大家庭—— CHEMBA大家庭。CHEMBA不仅仅是一个项目或学位,而是一个持久的体验和网络。这是一个卓越的成就，既是对前人努力的肯定，也是对你们未来期望的体现，在高管工商管理硕士项目中确实是独一无二的。