About Me

My route to the EMF program

Given my background and my goal to study in China, luckily, our admissions manager Abby reached out and introduced the EMF program to me during the first application period. After doing more research and calls I noticed that the program is very interactively driven and offers strong career perspectives. Together with an international focus and an interesting course syllabus I finally decided to choose the EMF program as I believe it offers the perfect platform to further develop myself. Besides my academic reasons also the city of Shanghai is a main factor for me to apply to the EMF program. Having studied in Mannheim, a rather small town in Germany, I wanted to study and live in a major global metropolitan. Shanghai surely lives up to that standing as one of the leading global financial centers, therefore, allowing me to also build strong networks in the finance industry.

Also, this exciting city allows me to further pursue my other interests such as badminton and football as both sports have a major significance in Shanghai.

My First Impressions

I initially had a very positive impression of the EMF program. Already at the beginning when I reached out to senior EMF students to talk about their experiences, two students did not hesitate to help me although they were both occupied with work, therefore, I noticed the strong student community of the EMF program. Furthermore, also the organizational process of the application was very structured and everyone involved in the process was very supportive.

Especially at the beginning Abby, our admissions manager and Justin, the head of EMF, took enough time to talk to me individually about my goals and how the program will help in that regard. With a rather small class batch, I noticed that each student is individually supported to achieve their personal goals. After a very smooth interview process and the accepted offer, the EMF officials organized several info events as well as took efforts to connect us in advance. Especially, due to COVID-19 situation which prevents many international students from starting in person in September (including me), it was great to already meet many fellow students beforehand. All students have diverse backgrounds and I think this creates a unique and international student community. So even before the official start, we already managed to create several WeChat groups to chat and support each other, especially with updates regarding the Visa situation. Also, the EMF officials, with our students affairs officer Holly being the main point of contact, provided support and updates in the current uncertain times.

Besides the great organization, the PDC also provided valuable insights for my current summer internship applications. The initial CV check together with individual career consulting sessions helped me to receive a better understanding of the investment banking landscape in Asia. Also in the current ongoing processes, especially Evelyn, our career center manager, is always available for quick questions and provides really helpful information.

Given the smooth processes and organization before the official program start, I am looking forward to the lectures and working with motivated fellow students together on exciting challenges.

My Expectations

I am truly glad and privileged to have this unique opportunity of being part of the EMF community. For the upcoming two years, I expect to meet a lot of bright minds and hope to make long-lasting friendships. Also, I want to enhance my Chinese skills and EMF provides the perfect basis by offering Chinese courses. This will help me to further increase my work suitability in China. In addition, my main goal is to obtain a better understanding of the financial markets in China and to extend my knowledge in an international context. Given a truly international syllabus, I think there will be a perfect environment to achieve this particular goal. Looking at my professional career after my studies, another significant goal is to secure an internship at a major investment bank in Asia and I think PDC provides strong support in achieving this goal.

Even though there are a lot of challenges in the current pandemic situation, especially regarding remote teaching, online recruiting, etc., I am confident that the EMF program will provide innovative solutions for me and my fellow students to feel included and hopefully at the beginning of next year we will be able to enter China and meet each other in person.