For the first time ESSCA Shanghai has welcomed a group of students in the brand-new “Asian Business Semester” (ABS). This programme corresponds to Semester 8 in the master programme and focuses on marketing and supply chain issues in the Asian region. With this new addition to the already existing programmes, ESSCA’s offer in Shanghai now spans a full academic year.

The 17 students of the first editon come from ESSCA and the University of Laval in Quebec City, one of ESSCA’s partner schools in Canada. They are taught by ESSCA faculty and invited guest lecturers from China and abroad. At the same time ESSCA has also launched a new initiative called “Asia Fellowship”, which attracts international professors and researchers to teach and collaborate on research projects with ESSCA faculty members.

Like other ESSCA programmes in Shanghai, the Asian Business Semester is a combination of formal lectures, guest seminars from business practioners and company visits as well as cultural activities. Led by Professor Wei SHEN from ESSCA’s Centre for European Integration, students have visited the Zhejiang Ai-Le Group (a specialized manufacturer of stationary products in the city of Shangyu), the rural housing developer Zhao-Tong Group in Yuyao City, the world-famous small commodities export market in Yiwu as well as two companies in Hangzhou: Landsea Properties (a developer specialized on ecological housing) and Yu Yang Intellectual Property Ltd.

ESSCA wishes to express its sincere thanks to the Ai-Le Group, the Zhao Tong Group, the Lingying Temple in appreciation of their generous sponsorship, as well as to Mr GU Dongdong of www.SinoFrance.org for his support throughout the study trip.

All ESSCA students interested in spending a spring semester in Shanghai can find more information on ESSCA’s website.

Further information can also be obtained by the programme director – Professor Wei Shen.