The Mannheim-Tongji Executive MBA program, a Sino-German education project, celebrated its fifth graduation ceremony on May 4 in the Knights’ Hall, Mannheim Business School.

The executive MBA dual-degree program was jointly established by the School of Economics and Management of Shanghai-based Tongji University and the German Mannheim Business School in 2010.

During the graduation ceremony, 21 senior executives earned the dual degree after two years of studies in Shanghai and Germany.

The program focuses on global business challenges from an intercultural perspective and strives to cultivate cross-border understandings in business practices.

“The program has combined the two institutions’ strengths and advantages, and participants will be immersed in the vibrant cultures of two highly recognized institutions as they study in two business hubs, Shanghai and Mannheim,” said Huo Jiazhen, dean of Tongji SEM.

“Senior executives and high-level talent from around the world will be equipped with the knowledge, skills and business tools necessary for international management, competition and other business challenges,” Huo said.

After six years of development, the Mannheim-Tongji Executive MBA program has received hundreds of participants, many of whom are senior executives and high-level management from world-leading companies, such as BASF, SAP, BMW, Siemens, Philips and Porsche.

Jens Wustemann, dean of MBS, said the executive MBA program’s achievements can be attributed to highly diverse classes of students and the program’s design.

According to the school, six modules were designed for the program to cover various management subjects, with three in Mannheim and three in Shanghai. Each module has four different hard- and soft-skill courses taught in English by faculties from all over the world.

The hard-skill courses can provide participants with broad general management expertise, integrating perspectives and best practices from around the world. Soft-skill courses such as cooperation in multicultural teams and negotiations in a Sino-German context will enable participants to become a much more effective leader.

In addition to access to world-class faculty and business speakers from top enterprises in both Chinese and European markets, students of the program also have opportunities to make company visits to gain a better understanding of business operations.

“The program puts an even stronger emphasis on the development of executive leadership skills and offers increased flexibility in terms of electives and personal development,” Wustemann said. According to the school’s official website, MBS is considered to be one of the leading institutions of its kind in Germany and is continuously ranked as Germany’s No.1. It was also recognized the best German MBA program in the global MBA rankings by the Financial Times and the Economist. In the 2015 Financial Times Executive Education rankings, MBS was ranked among the top 5 worldwide for customized programs.

The results were based on glowing reviews from corporate clients. For example, in the sub-categories of Faculty, Teaching Methods and Materials and Follow-Up, MBS took top honors in a field of 85 institutions from around the world. MBS ranked second in the Value for Money category.

“The Mannheim-Tongji EMBA program is a fruit of Tongji SEM’s globalization strategy and it has created a platform where the two leading schools are able to learn from each other,” Huo Jiazhen said.

“The two international business schools will develop mutually in the process of joint cooperation and development,” Huo said.

Over the years, Tongji SEM has made greater efforts to implement globalization strategies and increase its international standing.

Tongji SEM recently received a five-year certification for business education from both the European Quality Improvement System and the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, becoming the seventh business school in China to receive the two most authoritative international business education certifications. Tongji SEM has also received certifications from AMBA, CAMEA and PMI-GAC.

In addition to celebrating the EMBA participants’ graduation, the finance module was kicked off in Mannheim. The program will also work to create a sense of community for alumni and new participants by organizing a series of conferences and lectures.