From Barcelona to Shanghai, ESADE MBA students recently joined CEIBS for the China Immersion Programme – an enriching journey through lectures, classroom discussions, and company visits that brought China's business environment and global role into sharp focus.
“I'm loving everything here,” says Laura Montero from Venezuela, who describes the experience as a genuine shift in perspective. "For me, it's a new perspective on what China and its culture are. I'm enjoying everything – I came here open-minded, and I think I’ll leave with an even better perspective than I originally expected from this programme."
That sense of stepping into a different world is a recurring theme. Joining from the US, Lal Irez puts it plainly: “It made me feel like I'm coming from the past. This really feels like the future.” The company visits, in particular, left a strong impression. “All of the company visits have been really exciting,” Lal Irez adds.
East meets West
Shanghai itself quickly wins students over. “Shanghai is really amazing – I can tell it’s very tech-forward. It's very fun, and it seems like there are a lot of amazing things to do here,” says Carissa Almendarez, another student from the US.
For ESADE students travelling from far afield, the city offers a vivid encounter with a completely different way of life. Gonzalo Maldonado, who is originally from Peru, reflects on the value of that distance: “Being here allows me to engage with different cultures and ways of behaving. It’s an amazing experience. I love the skyline.”
Even day-to-day life in the city surprises visitors. “It’s super clean considering how many people live in the city, and I really like it,” notes Priyanjali Chaudhury from India. “Shanghai is nice.”
China depth, global breadth
Students are drawn to CEIBS not only for the experience, but for the strategic knowledge it offers. Sönke Krumstroh, a German student, frames it as a deliberate choice:
“I feel that China is a place where I can learn the most because it’s very different from Europe and the culture we have there. Since China is such an important country, with so many companies, I wanted to learn more about it and understand how business is done here.”
Ignacio Carnevale from Costa Rica echoes that sentiment, seeing the programme as an essential bridge: “I think it's a very good opportunity to get in touch with Chinese culture and understand how China does business with the world.”
One of the biggest surprises for many is just how deeply digital life in China has become. “I wasn't expecting everything to be part of a digital ecosystem. Before coming, we wondered if we needed cash – but we were told that cash isn't really accepted,” says Paola Sierra from the US.
“Whether you like it or not, China is one of the biggest players nowadays. As MBA students, if you want to go global, you definitely need to understand how to do business here,” Mexican student Carlos Segura adds with conviction.
What faculty say
Faculty members are equally enthusiastic about what the programme delivers. Zhang Lingling, Associate Dean and MBA Programme Director at CEIBS, highlights the depth of institutional knowledge that the school brings to the table:
“The value that CEIBS contributes is, of course, deep knowledge of China. We are a business school with the most China-based case studies. We’ve accumulated a lot of knowledge about Chinese management, and it’s a great pleasure for CEIBS to share this knowledge with a broader audience.”
David López, Associate Dean of the ESADE MBA, describes the week as a carefully considered balance: “It's a perfect balance between high-level lectures and on-the-ground business reality in China.”
For him, what sets CEIBS apart goes beyond its location or curriculum – it is the role the school plays between two worlds: “I think CEIBS has a unique position in the world right now. It’s not just a school in China – it’s a school of China and Europe. This bridge between cultures is what makes it truly unique.”
