MBA Global Extension Course of RMBS: Exploring German Innovation and Revisiting the Birthplace of Marx

In July 2023, MBA "Global Extension Course" moduleof Renmin Business School (RMBS) officially began in Germany, with nearly 40 students and teachers heading to Germany for a six-day experiential learning trip with the theme of "Exploring German Innovation and Revisiting the Birthplace of Marx".

This German study module included three parts: "Course Learning", "Enterprise Visits" and "Following the Red Steps", aiming to lead students to explore the best practices of Germany's "Industry 4.0" era through a new design concept. By examining the organizational forms of manufacturing, lean management models and other aspects of the manufacturing industry's increasing intelligence, the trip aimed to provide MBA students with reference and reflection on industrial upgrading and transformation.

The Technical University of Munich (TUM) is one of the world's top universities and is highly respected internationally. Distinguished scientists and celebrities such as Rudolf Diesel, inventor of the diesel engine, Linde, founder of refrigeration, Prandtl, founder of fluid mechanics, B-tree computer inventor Bayer, modern architectural pioneer Walter, and famous writer Thomas Mann all graduated from this school. TUM has been considered a leader among technical institutions in recent modern times and a symbol of German universities in the world today.

The Technical University of Munich (TUM)

At the oldest industrial university in Germany, the Technical University of Munich, Prof. Dr. Christoph Kaserer, director of the Department of Economics, and Andrej Sternin, senior researcher at the School of Aerospace Engineering, presented courses on "European Economy and Current Challenges" and "Innovation in the Business Aviation Industry" respectively.

Prof. Dr. Christoph Kaserer

Andrej Sternin, senior researcher

After leaving TUM, the teachers and students head to the NIO European headquarters. As a new force in China's domestic auto industry, NIO's corporate vision is customer-centric and based on mobile internet. In Europe, NIO's ecosystem uses intelligent EVs as platforms, supported by NIO Cloud and the app, combined with battery swapping and BaaS (battery-as-a-service) USPs, to truly build local user communities. At the third lecture of this German module, Zhang Hui, vice president of NIO, presented the course "Exploration and Practice of Building NIO's European User Community".

The German manufacturing industry is one of the most competitive in the world, occupying a leading position in the global manufacturing equipment field. The heritage of craftsmanship is one of Germany's strengths, with family businesses being the most important core. More than 1,300 "hidden champions" in Germany, nearly half of the world's "hidden champions," are extremely successful companies. Most of them even lead the world in some niche markets, but are almost unknown to the public.

During this study trip, teachers and students visited representatives from such German companies and gained a deep understanding of the characteristics, development models and prospects of German enterprises during the visits.

Audi headquarters

Büttenpapierfabrik Gmund

KARCHER

Optima

BASF SE

German Central Bank

The students and teachers traveled to the second German university, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, which was founded in 1447 and has a history of nearly 600 years. It is one of the oldest universities in Germany and one of the top ten universities in the country. It is also the largest university in the Rhine-Main region, which is the most economically developed region in Germany. Here, the students and teachers attended a lecture by Prof. Dr. Daniel Schunk, a professor in the Department of Law and Economics at Mainz University, and a senior advisor to the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. The lecture was titled "What skills does the future workforce need and how can we digitize education?"

Prof. Dr. Daniel Schunk

During the "Guest Speaker Dialogue" session, Mr. Walter Döring, former Vice Chairman of the Free Democratic Party of Germany, President of the European Economic Senate, and Dean of the German World Market Leaders Academy, and Mr. Weige Zhu, Economic and Commercial Counselor at the Chinese Consulate General in Frankfurt, were invited to the study tour to engage in discussions on "Market Leader Enterprises" and the challenges of Sino-German economic and trade cooperation.

During the dialogue, Mr. Döring mentioned that as a country with the highest number of "Market Leader" enterprises in the world, Germany has reached a bottleneck in its development in the European market, thus needing to seek opportunities in overseas markets. "China has become one of the most important trading partners for Germany in recent years. Sino-German cooperation requires both sides to accept differences and establish mutually beneficial relationships. Only through cooperation that benefits both sides can long-term development be achieved."

During the discussion, Counselor Weige Zhu conducted a thorough analysis of the history of Sino-German relations and the recent challenges they face. He emphasized the significance of bilateral cooperation and friendly exchanges over the past fifty years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. During this period, China and Germany have made tremendous progress in politics, economy, culture, and other fields, with mutual trust and friendship constantly strengthening. However, he also pointed out that the current bilateral relationship is facing new challenges. "The global situation is constantly changing, and economic globalization and multilateralism are facing challenges. Trade frictions and regional conflicts have brought certain pressures to bilateral cooperation."

Counselor Weige Zhu mentioned that students of Renmin University of China bear the historical mission of promoting mutual trust and friendly exchanges between the two countries. Students should actively participate in international exchanges, promote cultural, academic, and humanistic exchanges between China and Germany, and enhance understanding and friendship between the two peoples. At the same time, they should also pay attention to and study the challenges faced by the bilateral relationship, striving to find ways to solve problems and constructive ways of cooperation.

The two “Dialogue with Big Names” events have deeply impressed the students with the important mission they shoulder as the younger generation in the context of globalization - to promote friendly exchanges between China and Germany, enhance mutual trust, and jointly face challenges. This not only represents the continuation of the bilateral relationship but also contributes to the active efforts in building a more peaceful, stable, and prosperous world.

The final stop of this study tour was Trier, where the teachers and students revisited the birthplace of Marx and explored the red footsteps of Germany. Led by Jochen Mogler, vice chairman of the German Teachers' Association and dean of the Rhineland-Palatinate Education Institute, they walked into the 3-story grey-white building at 10 Brueckenstrasse in Trier, one of Germany's typical buildings in the Rhine region, dating back to 1727. The residence is still well-preserved, with Marx's works and portraits, desks, chairs, bookcases and other utensils he used in his lifetime displayed on the first floor, and the second and third floors exhibiting his striving throughout his life through pictures, texts, sculptures, and portraits.

As one of the components of the "China Management Wisdom" ideological and political education system construction in the MBA program of RMBS, the practical learning module integrates ideological and political courses into MBA experiential learning for the first time.Taking the advantages of Renmin University of China's disciplines, this initiative carries forward the red heritage, focuses on cultivating moral character and nurturing talents, and continuously enhances the integration and mutual understanding between Chinese wisdom and international perspectives for MBA students.

In a beautiful wish of "long-lasting friendship between China and Germany", the German module of MBA Global Extension Course of RMBS came to a successful conclusion. We also look forward to using this international study tour as a new starting point to continue building a high-quality and open global cooperative network, leading more MBA students of RMBS to travel to various parts of the world, absorb diverse business knowledge, experience different cultural backgrounds of business models and business operations, and expand the students' international perspective based on the concept of a community with a shared destiny.