The Antai College of Economics and Management  at Shanghai Jiao Tong University continues to stand out among business schools, with its 2016 MBA program rising to 39th place in a ranking compiled by the leading global business news organization Financial Times.

Financial Times rankings started in 1999, and they are renowned for their authority and rigorous standards, serving as key guidelines for professionals analyzing the strength and competitiveness of business schools, as well as students and executives considering the ideal place to learn.

The ranking of the ACEM MBA program has risen for three consecutive years, having come in 77th in 2014 and 55th in 2015 in the Financial Times listings.

“The competition among MBA programs is very fierce,” said Zhou Lin, dean of ACEM. “Entering the global top 50 with ACEM’s MBA program is the best proof that the development of students and alumni is the foundation of a program. ACEM’s MBA program has been leading China’s business schools on a par with the top international business schools. It also proves that the distance between the MBA programs of China and the best international programs has shortened.”

The ACEM MBA program has long focused on the career path building and development of its students, which is fully reflected in a series of criteria included in the Financial Times ranking. The employment rate of ACEM MBA program graduates tied for first, at 100 percent, salary growth was 168 percent and placement success rate ranked 22nd. International course experience level ranked 36th and value for money came in at 33rd.

The ACEM MBA program also ranks 10th by subject among industry, manufacturing industry and logistics courses in the global MBA ranking 2016.

According to the figures released by Financial Times, the average annual salary for alumni three years after graduation was $113,340. 

ACEM is the first school on the Chinese mainland to be accredited by the world’s three most influential business school accreditation associations: the AMBA, EQUIS and AACSB. Its MBA program has run for more than 20 years and achieved much in that time. In this year’s Financial Times ranking, the qualifications and scientific research level of full-time faculty members scored highly, with 91 percent holding doctoral degrees and the number of articles they published, relative to the faculty size, ranking 86th.

In recent years, the number of papers published by teachers at Shanghai Jiao Tong University in top-class international management periodicals has ranked highly among universities in China. In the latest UK QS World University Rankings, four disciplines at Shanghai Jiao Tong University related to the Antai College of Economics and Management — accounting and finance, business and management, economics and econometrics, and statistics and management — were in the top 100.

In addition to its academic achievements, the ACEM MBA program also offers company practice projects for its students. More than 90 percent of MBA faculty members also work as corporate executives, independent directors or are responsible for business projects, enabling them to better help students improve their practical abilities.

According to the school, it has leveraged various resources to create a complete and realistic environment for business leadership growth, such as working with existing companies and establishing international cooperation.

For example, it has launched a China Leaders For Global Operations program with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States, and cooperates closely with international leading companies, such as Apple, Dell, Johnson & Johnson and Honeywell. Students from CLGO all intern at such companies for up to six months to get firsthand experience of project management. Each year, more than 50 percent of the MBA alumni choose to stay at these companies upon graduation.

In order to encourage students to start their own businesses, the program has also enhanced its entrepreneurship education, which transforms from classroom education to practical activities. In the past three years, the program’s entrepreneurship foundation has funded 37 projects run by its students, with total grants exceeding 11 million yuan ($1.67 million).

In addition, the program has established a system to cultivate the global perspective of students, offering short-term overseas study, overseas exchanges and dual degrees. Each year, it provides more than 300 students with overseas studies opportunities.

Other business schools on the Chinese mainland were also included on the list, with Renmin University of China ranking 43rd and Fudan University 47th.

By wang hong yi in Shanghai

wanghongyi@chinadaily.com.cn