院长之声丨ZIBS: New Building, New Beginning 新故事从这里开始

Dear ZIBSers,

After writing the monthly Dean’s Message for 18 months in Chinese, I have decided to continue this journey on a different track: writing to you directly in English.

The month of Nov has a special one for us: it is a month of anniversary celebration as the preparation to start ZIBS journey officially kicked off on Nov 15, 2018 and ZIBS as a school was formally accredited by the university in Nov 2020. Below I would like to share with you my speech at our ZIBS New Building Inauguration Ceremony on Nov 18, 2022.

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ZIBS: New Building, New Beginning

新故事从这里开始

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Vice President He Lianzhen (何莲珍), Dean Ouyang Hongwei (欧阳宏伟), Executive Deputy Party Secretary Qu Lijuan (屈利娟), dear students, scholars and staff of ZIBS, dear friends and family of ZIBS, ladies and gentlemen, good morning!

Welcome to ZIBS New Building Inauguration Ceremony!

Four years ago, we embarked on a difficult journey to build a premier global business school from China; four years ago, we made the bold statement to Connect The World, Shape The Future (改变世界，引领未来); four years ago, we made the commitment to follow the “5I” principles: international (国际), inclusive (开放), interdisciplinary (跨界), integrative (融合) and innovative (创新); four years ago, we started focusing on the 3 strategic pillars: global ZIBS (全球化), digital ZIBS (数字化) and a ZIBS ecosystem (生态化).

Our last four years, most of which we were constrained by covid-19 pandemic restrictions, have not been smooth or easy. We were confused and sometimes lost confidence, we failed and were frustrated, we had doubts and questions, in short, we have had our share of challenges & confusions, failures and frustrations, and darkest moments along the way.

When we were asking ourselves if we are too bold or too ambitious, we invoked the Chinese saying 志之所趋，无远弗届 No Limitation For Aspiration. This became our Theme For 2019.

When we could not see the future, we encouraged ourselves that 行远自迩，不以山海为远 Small Steps, Big Journey. This was our Theme For 2020 as we entered covid 19.

When we were tempted to cut corners and make some quick but superficial progress, we reminded ourselves that 择善而从，行必能至Join The Wise, Strive To Thrive. This served as the guiding Theme for 2021.

When we were concerned about our fast growth of ZIBS family (our students, our scholars and our staff), we chose 大道行思，取则行远 Right Path, Smart Growth as our Theme for 2022 to achieve sustainable development.

Today, we have 6 degree programs (5 master level: iMBA, iMF, MCS, MCM, iMFA; and 1 bachelor level: GCM) and are poised to launch our 7th degree program (6th master level): Master of Data Engineering and Analytics. Our partnership with 5 schools (colleges and centers) within the university for such programs makes ZIBS one of the most “interdisciplinary and integrative”.

Today, we have established dialogues and collaborations with 70 universities from all continents, we have set up a dedicated International Team to cover all continents including our Latin America Center and Africa Center. Our 648 students and over 50 full-time staff (and scholars) hail from over 60 home countries, making us one of the most “international and inclusive” schools in China (and probably in the world).

Today, there are 28 research and collaboration platforms within ZIBS ecosystem: from our partnership with PBOC FinTech Research Center and ACFIC (All China Federation of Industry & Commerce) at the national level, to international organizations like CFA Institute, CISI in the UK, GBSN (Global Business School Network), and Smart Africa, to leading companies like Ant Group, Alibaba and GoTo Group. Our approach to building a unique ZIBS ecosystem has been characterized as one of the most “innovative, inclusive and integrative”. 

Over the last 4 years, our team has made presence and presentations in Hangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing and globally, such as Inclusion Bund Conference (外滩大会), China Import Expo (中国进口博览会), Financial Street Forum (北京金融街论坛), China International Fair for Trade in Services (服贸会), Money 2020 Europe, World Economic Forum and G20/T20 events.

Over the last 4 years, we have held numerous seminars, symposiums and conferences with the participation and presence of our honored guests including Nobel Laureates, former Head of States and Head of Government, leaders from multilateral institutions like the World Bank, IMF, NDB and AIIB, top executives from leading companies like Ant Group and Citigroup, and leading policymakers.

Today, our Digital ZIBS strategy (数字化战略) includes building our presence in all major social media channels including websites, building our own APP and upgrading our Metaverse Campus (元宇宙校区), after launching it in April 2022. I am also very proud of the internationally-competitive digital literacy of our team members as they are actively in teaching online, collaborating on shared databases, organizing and participating at Zoom and Tencent video calls/webinars.

Today, our Global ZIBS strategy (全球化战略) has been expanding. While we are continuing to forge partnerships with “inbound” international institutions, we are actively looking to establish our physical presence outside China. It is envisaged that ZIBS ecosystem, while headquartered in Haining and having established Teaching Centers in Beijing, Shanghai and Hangzhou, will have a physical presence in strategic locations outside the Chinese mainland.

Today, our unique ZIBS ecosystem (生态化战略) comprises not just ZIBS, but also as diverse as Beijing FIRST (Frontier Institute of Regulation & Supervision Technologies, 北京前沿金融监管科技研究院), AIF (Academy of Internet Finance, 浙江大学金融科技研究院), Zhejiang Association of FinTech (浙江数字金融科技联合会) and WeLearn (海纳惟学教育科技有限公司) as active and ecosystem-important partner institutions. Our diversity is a key strength of ZIBS.

Today, we are here to inaugurate our ZIBS Building! It is not just a new building, it is home for ZIBS as we settle down and host our family and friends.

It is not just a new building, it is the Global Headquarter of ZIBS as we continue to establish and expand our presence both domestically and abroad.

It is not just a new building, it is a milestone for ZIBS and International Campus of Zhejiang University, to you, our colleagues we are forever indebted for your kind and generous support.

It is not just a new building, it is a new beginning for us at ZIBS as we continue to embrace and shape our future to welcome more students, more scholars and more staff from across the world.

Ladies and gentlemen, friends and family of ZIBS, as we celebrate, I am worried, I am afraid, I am anxious.

I am afraid that we are complacent (我们会自满), we think that we are already a top school;

I am afraid that we may miss the historic opportunity (错失历史机遇);

I am afraid that we will disappoint our trust from our leaders, historical opportunity, our responsibility, and above all, our colleagues ZIBS family (对不起领导信任，时代机遇，肩上责任，同事同学).

But I should not and am not worried,

Because I know we will NOT stop here (不会止步), we will NOT lie flat (不会躺平), as the future is calling upon us, the responsibility is calling upon us, we are still on the way, we have just begun (因为ZIBS的未来在召唤我们，世界的责任在召唤我们，我们还在路上，才刚刚开始).

Because we will have your company, our mutual commitment, our mutual support, and the kindest and most generous support from all walks of life. (因为我们有你们的陪伴，你我的承诺，我们的相互扶持，社会各界的大力支持).

Because we have chosen the right path, we have the most diligent team, we have the most promising young talents, we have the most down-to-earth culture (因为我们选择了正确的道路，有最勤奋的团队，最年轻有潜力的团队，有最务实的文化).

I want to conclude by sharing a conversation I had in 2019 with one of my classmates from my Ph.D. study at Purdue University. His name is Dr. Jonathan Willner, a good friend and a chair professor at Oklahoma City University in the USA. In 2019, we were at an early stage of our journey and I invited him and his wife Liz to visit us with the view that they might join us. They spent a week with us. When they first arrived, I hosted them a dinner as a welcome and then I disappeared on business trips (at that time no covid-19 yet, I was almost always on the road) for a few days before returning to meet up with them for farewell. After seeing me back, Jon said to me: “Ben, you are very busy. Looks like you work 6 days a week”. I responded: “No, I work 7 days a week”. He was apparently surprised by my response. What I added probably shocked him: “it is a pleasure and privilege to be able to work 7 days a week and I am not alone (at ZIBS)”.

I said it from the bottom of my heart. It is a unique pleasure and privilege to grow with ZIBS. It is my greatest and most humbling honor to serve as the Dean of ZIBS, Zhejiang University International Business School!

To our leaders, our colleagues, our students, our scholars, our staff, all our friends and family of ZIBS, thank you!   

查看演讲原稿感受贲院长的激动与希冀！ 

图文排版｜李嵩皎

编辑｜陈槭丽莎

责编｜沈莉

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