French native Alexandre Dorangeville has never been someone who prefers to stay within his comfort zone. Far from it—at just nineteen, he decided to embark upon his undergraduate studies in China despite no prior knowledge of Mandarin.
This tenacious and challenge-hungry attitude has meant that Alex has since gone on to pursue a global career in Beijing, New York, and now London.
Yet it was studying his MBA at Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management (Tsinghua SEM) that formed the missing piece to his career puzzle—helping him build the vital business and leadership skills to thrive in a global business environment.
Embracing the China-France relationship
Picture this: It’s the year 2008 and the Beijing Olympics are on everyone’s screens. Naturally, for Alex, China feels like a vibrant and exciting place to be.
Yet Alex’s decision to spend his undergraduate and postgraduate studies in China was not something he made lightly.
With a strong awareness of the strengthening diplomatic relationship between France and China, Alex knew he wanted to play a role in strengthening the bridge between the two countries.
He was drawn to immersing himself in a culture wholly different from his native France.
“At eighteen, I could have studied in a western culture but I thought I might as well go somewhere different where there’s more room for learning.”
There was also the draw of sports. As a competitive Taekwondo enthusiast, Alex says he has always had a natural interest in Asian culture.
Following his undergraduate studies in China, where he also studied intensive Mandarin lessons, he knew he wanted to push himself further.
When it came to business schools, choosing Tsinghua SEM was an easy decision, he says.
“Tsinghua is number one in China,” he says, adding that he wanted to complement his management and finance background with more technical skills, benefiting from the tech-driven environment of Tsinghua University.
In the QS Global MBA Rankings 2025, Tsinghua Global MBA ranks number one in China and 29th worldwide.
Alex says he was also attracted to the fact that the Tsinghua Global MBA (formerly referred to as Tsinghua International MBA) is formed in collaboration with MIT Sloan School of Management.
Alex (pictured second to the left) has expanded his career network thanks to the Tsinghua Global MBA program
Learning global business during the Tsinghua Global MBA
By the time he joined the Tsinghua Global MBA, Alex had already spent five years living in China. He thought he knew a lot about the Chinese business world, but the MBA offered fresh perspectives on global business.
He credits courses such as the MIT-Tsinghua China Lab, Doing Business in China, and the Chinese Economy in the World with imbuing him with a deep-rooted understanding of China’s position on the world stage.
"The feedback from my Chinese classmates on challenges they faced in dealing with western companies was probably the most valuable learning; this allowed me to anticipate and avoid problematic situations later on in my career," says Alex.
He adds that being open to unfamiliar perspectives is crucial to getting ahead in China and in business school studies.
“During the Tsinghua Global MBA, we looked at ethical perspectives from all over the world. This made me realize that I had a western enlightenment and humanist perspective of things, but the MBA challenged me to stand in other people’s shoes and adapt my views from a Chinese lens.”
As a native French speaker, he was able to offer his classmates some useful business insight.
When connecting with his classmates in the Tsinghua Global MBA program, he discussed communication problems that they had encountered during their business dealings with French-speaking companies in Africa.
Building an international network to last a lifetime
After graduating from the Tsinghua Global MBA, Alex joined a leading private equity (PE) firm in Beijing as a cross-border analyst, making the switch from his pre-MBA career in strategy consulting.
The firm’s work focuses on investing in Chinese companies to finance their international growth in Europe and investing in European companies that wanted to enter or solidify their position in China.
“My experience in China and France positioned me on top of the pile to join this firm. If you want to work on a cross-border angle between China and somewhere else, then the Tsinghua Global MBA gives you a significant edge.”
He has subsequently moved to London to head a single Chinese family office with assets in four continents, where his knowledge of cultural, political, and business differences in China are highly sought after.
“There’s an asymmetry between the importance that China has today in the world and the knowledge the western world has about the country; and vice-versa. When Chinese delegates visit us in Europe, I understand the issues they are concerned about, and this gives me and my firm an immediate edge.”
Alex says that something important for anyone looking to work or live in China is that there is no ‘one’ version of China as China is a large country in constant evolution.
"Those subtilities can only be truly understood when experienced on-site, during dinners with classmates, for example," he adds.
When it comes to his advice for international students looking to study in China, he says: “Be ready to be challenged—you need to be open minded.
“Stay connected—don’t just stay within your circles—go out there and speak to taxi drivers or staff at the gym to gain a different perspective of China."
He believes that the Tsinghua brand name is still having an impact on his life, even as far afield as London.
“It really does open doors to tell people you went to Tsinghua—there’s such an interest and admiration about this institution.”
