SAIF, considered one of the world’s best finance-focused MBA schools, hosted the Financial Reform and Innovation Seminar.
Beijing, Hebei province and Tianjin municipality are working on a joint development plan with the aim of improving the region's overall competitiveness. Tianjin in particular is facing many challenges, including industrial upgrading, economic transition, and enhancing financial services and innovation.
Professor Chang Chun, executive dean of SAIF, said the school's programs promoted the development of Tianjin’s financial sector.
SAIF professors had a “heated” discussion on Tianjin’s financial development, and the keynote speech, delivered jointly by Cui Jindu, executive vice mayor of Tianjin Municipal Government and school professors, included global financial reform and free trade zones.
Shanghai is already enjoying the country’s first such zone, launched last September, which promised looser capital account controls, a freely tradable renminbi and an end to cumbersome foreign investment rules.
Thousands of companies have registered in the 28 sq km zone, including HSBC and Microsoft.
SAIF hopes it will propel the city toward becoming a global financial hub, in-turn providing more job opportunities for its MBA graduates.
“With the establishment of Shanghai free trade zone… which is expected to increase the demand on financial talents, service and innovation, SAIF will surely play a more and more important role in Shanghai’s future financial development,” said Tu Guangshao, member of the standing committee of the CPC Shanghai Committee, at a SAIF event last month.
“To be an international financial hub in 2020 is just a short-term goal and there still will be a more ambitious goal after 2020,” he added.
Meanwhile, SAIF has announced its 2015 MBA admissions policy. But Ni Haiying, associate director of the SAIF MBA, said that the school has no stereotype for "ideal candidates".
Ni added that goals, critical thinking and challenging conventional thoughts were all desirable, as well as wanting a clearly defined role. “We don’t want followers. We want leaders, with strong endurance and execution,” he said.
“Third, they must be willing to share with other people, which is also the culture of [the] SAIF MBA. One cannot be addicted [to] their own success; instead, he or she should also be proud of their teammates’ successes.”
Prof. Chen Hong, deputy dean of SAIF, also revealed the MBA class’s employment statistics. All 100% of 2013 SAIF MBA graduates have been hired, he said, with an average annual salary of RMB 230,000.
He added that the school is drawing more students from finance backgrounds, and that more part-time students are coming from industry and commerce careers.
The school also launched a scholarship of RMB 15 million to attract freshmen and sophomore students. The average financial coverage of scholarships for the incoming students will be over 90%, SAIF said.
A “pre-MBA training project” has also been launched, covering aspects including career development and experience sharing, to help applicants understand finance. Incoming students can apply online, allowing them to start MBA studies and networking in advance.
The Financial Reform and Innovation Seminar was jointly held in Tianjin by SAIF, the Tianjin Hedong District People’s Government and the Tianjin Municipal People’s Government Financial Affairs Office.
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