2023 Guanghua-Kellogg EMBA Commencement Successfully Held

Guanghua red and Kellogg purple

Blooming in a vibrant union

Adorning the early summer of 2023

Into our most unforgettable memories

On the morning of July 2nd, Guanghua red and Kellogg purple converged at the PKU campus once again, as the 2023 Guanghua-Kellogg Executive MBA Commencement and Degree Conferral Ceremony (the GK Program) took place on campus at Guanghua School of Management. It was a grand ceremony exclusively dedicated to the GK graduates.

Guanghua-Kellogg EMBA

Graduation

Guanghua-Kellogg EMBA

Graduation

Nearly 100 GK graduates from the past three cohorts attended the ceremony this year. As the Dean of Guanghua School of Management, Liu Qiao, once said at the 2020 graduation ceremony, “We must not allow students to graduate from Guanghua so hastily.” To make sure the students have no regrets, the program specially held this graduation ceremony for all the past graduates who could not be present due to the pandemic and this year’s current graduates to witness the joy and gratitude for this important moment together.

Before the ceremony officially started, the GK Band, formed by four GK alumni, gave a spectacular opening performance of classic songs “Red River Valley” and “Greenhouse Girl.” They creatively incorporated Guanghua and Kellogg into the lyrics, expressing their gratitude to the two institutions while conveying the sadness of parting after graduation.

It's worth mentioning here that Professor Greg Hanifee, Associate Dean of Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, also joined the ceremony along with a few faculty members from Guanghua School of Management. Meanwhile, the program also invited Dr. Hou Yang, Chairman and CEO of Microsoft GCR as a special guest. The ceremony was hosted by Prof. Shen Qiaowei, Academic Director of the Guanghua-Kellogg EMBA Program.

The graduation ceremony was officially opened with the solemn rhythm of the national anthem of the People’s Republic of China.

Subsequently, Prof. Shen Qiaowei announced the commencement of the 2023 graduation and degree conferral ceremony of the Guanghua-Kellogg Executive MBA Program. She said, “No matter what kind of challenges we face, we always need to find ways to maintain a sufficient amount of international exchanges,” which is the persistence of Guanghua in the past 38 years and the persistence of generations of Guanghua students: to place our self-development in a broad-enough vision and dimension, positioned “in China, the world, and the era.” Even with the impact of the pandemic, the GK program managed a hybrid of online and on-campus teaching models under the joint efforts of Guanghua and Kellogg, breaking physical limitations, allowing each student to attend classes together, and maintaining a high level of interaction between students and professors. Our commitment to international exchanges through this kind of Sino-foreign cooperation like the GK program during these difficult times is extremely valuable. 

Embrace The Power of Technology to Create a Global Future. At the beginning of the ceremony, Dr. Hou Yang, Chairman and CEO of Microsoft GCR, spoke as a special guest. As a PKU alumnus, he gave three pieces of advice to GK graduates: firstly, as proud graduates of a truly global program, you all shoulder the responsibilities of keeping global business connections and continuing to grow a truly global business community; secondly, embrace the power of technology in this new era of AI, regardless of which industry you are in; last but not the least, not lose the sense of idealism that is known to be the spirit of PKU. As a marathon runner, Hou Yang understands the importance of endurance and persistence. He suggested that careers are like a marathon, the second half of the marathon is sore and nerve-racking, but the best way to persevere is to “forget about the finish line, enjoy the journey, and enjoy the fellow runners around you.”

Studying at the GK program is memorable, while everything still seems like yesterday when studying, sharing experiences, and laughing together through sleepless nights. We have not departed yet, but the nostalgia has already started. Following, three representatives of GK graduates from different cohorts presented their graduation speeches.

High Impact, Low Ego. Chen Xiaorong, the representative of the GK06 Cohort, is currently the Chief Investment Officer of LY.com. She indicates that this is her second time graduating from Guanghua School of Management. Her first graduation was 18 years ago when she received her bachelor’s degree from Guanghua, and her second time is today. In 2019, she joined the GK program because of her desire for knowledge and to answer her confusion about the future. For her, after 18 years, Peking University is thriving with innovative academic programs and world-class curriculums, which have attracted more and more talented young students from all over the world to return to their home country to pursue highly sophisticated research. She hopes that, as a GK graduate, she can take responsibility in her work and life, that is, to be a builder and innovator.

Staying Grounded, Keeping Hands Dirty. Hou Xinlai, the representative of the GK07 cohort, who is now the Executive Director of Haier Smart Home for North America and Vice President of GE Appliances, shared that through the uneasy expansion of Haier’s global business, he learned that the only way to solve challenges is to stay grounded and keep your hands dirty, to analyze from different perspectives and to seize the invisible opportunities. He exclaimed that joining the Guanghua-Kellogg Executive MBA program was the best decision he has ever made, which gave him the chance to learn from professors from these two most prestigious business schools in China and the US. In the program, he developed independent thinking skills and advanced his ability to pursue the scientific spirit of truth while remaining open to different opinions.

Challenges That We Face as a Global Community Will Only Be Solved By Global Solutions. Daniel Gordon, the representative of the GK08 cohort, is currently the managing director of GLD Partners. He says that even now in his home country, the term “global” is often met with controversy and skepticism. However, through his studies in the GK program, it became clear to him that it is the clash of perspectives and the diversity of approaches that lead to outstanding results. The world today is more interconnected than ever before—prompting that global challenges require global solutions. Nations can compete with each other, but they can also cooperate. Because ultimately, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit the same small planet, and should, therefore, join hands to cherish our children’s future.

After the speeches of GK graduates, Prof. Greg Hanifee, Associate Dean of Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, delivered the most heartfelt greetings and sincere wishes to the GK graduates on behalf of Dean Francesca Cornelli and all faculty and staff members of Kellogg School of Management.

He shared that the last time he came to Guanghua was in January 2020, and since then, the world has experienced several years intertwined with setbacks and hopeful moments. To this day, it is the self-resilience of the students that has gotten them to where we are today. He hopes that students will remember the resilience they relied on in the past because life is not always generous.

Additionally, he shared three themes for GK graduates: “lead with purpose,” “achieve results through collaboration” and “promote community success,” while also realizing “High impact Low Ego.” These themes are what the GK program is all about and what it means to be a true GK leader.

Following this, Prof. Liu Qiao, Dean of Guanghua School of Management, Peking University, also sent his warmest congratulations to all GK graduates. Dean Liu said that as we are about to depart and face a completely unpredictable future, we can easily feel the impact of the tide of the times and the drastic changes in our surroundings as feeble individuals.

He suggested that students could follow the inspiration of the discounted cash flow model in finance and understand the value and meaning of life as the sum of the net present value of all the value one creates in the future. He believes that doing so has a threefold implication: first, it means changing your preference for risk, believing that the future is good, and having a resolute optimism about it. Secondly, it means that you are willing to be a long-term person who believes that life is not a 100-meter dash but a grueling marathon. Last but not least, it means placing the growth of your mind and intellect in a longer period and a broader space, which will enhance the pattern and height of your cognition.

Finally, he hopes that everyone can achieve a long-term ideology by lowering the discount rate used for future value and become a person full of sunshine, a good person who does not complain or explain but always remembers that “the key to the future is in the radiant sunshine.”

To better demonstrate the achievements of talent cultivation of the school and let students remember this glorious moment, the graduation ceremony also specially arranged an honorary recognition session. Prof. Liu Qiao, Prof. Ma Huaxiang, Prof. Greg Hanifee, Prof. Ma Li, and Prof. Weng Xi presented the awards of “Outstanding Graduates” and “Honors Graduation Thesis” to students honored in the past three years separately, encouraging them to continue acting as role models in their future career and life, to inherit the excellent academic heritage of the GK program and create new achievements while reaching new heights.

After the award ceremony, the GK graduates presented flowers to all their mentors present, expressing their gratitude for the hard work and dedication of Guanghua and Kellogg professors. A good relationship between students and teachers is one of the most precious relations in one’s life. The faculty also wishes all GK graduates a stable and prosperous future and that the GK program will always be their solid support.

学位授予仪式

The degree conferring ceremony began as the graduation ceremony came to an end. Their degrees represent status, but also Peking University and Northwestern University’s spirit, knowledge, ability, and habits. Professors present at the ceremony tasseled the students one by one, awarded them the degree certificates, and took a group photo, then waved goodbye to the students while sincerely wishing every GK graduate good luck and a flourishing future.

The road ahead is long and hard. Persist, success is on card. During this journey, every GK student inspires and learns from each other and grows and progresses together. In the GK family, we never say goodbye. Weiming Lake and Boya Bogota seize your day, how fortunate we gather today in Guanghua! We wish every graduate of the GK program a new journey and to achieve a better self in their brand-new journey in work and life.

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About the Guanghua-Kellogg EMBA Program

The Guanghua-Kellogg EMBA Program is the first Sino-US joint EMBA Program in the mainland of China, bringing together the world-class faculties of two premier business schools and featuring a rigorous and cutting-edge curriculum. The program prepares executives with integrated management skills, Chinese business expertise, and a global perspective to lead their organizations in a dynamic environment. Kellogg's EMBA global network offers students opportunities to engage in collaborations with peer leaders across the globe. 

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