Fudan University Part-time Financial MBA Overseas Module: Going into London and Understanding Finance and Innovation from Global Perspective

Release time：2023-10-11    

In October 2023, the overseas module course of FISF Part-time Financial MBA (FMBA PT+) concluded successfully in London, UK. FMBA PT+ Overseas Module is aimed to enrich students’ global vision and absorb the cutting-edge financial theories and practices around the world.

In October this fall, FMBA PT+ teachers and students went into London and conducted a week-long immersive learning together to understand financial innovation from global perspective and grasp the pulse of future financial development.

(Picture: the students taking a group photo with Noble Prize Winner Christopher Pissarides at the London School of Economics)

01

Learning in London

Keywords:

Going into the campus and listening to a guru’s class

Professor in Economics at London School of Economics, Noble Prize Winner

Interim Dean of Business School of Imperial College London

Founder of Data Science Institute of Imperial College London

With the rapid development of science and technology and the in-depth integration with finance, London, one of the financial centers widely recognized around the globe, is also called the center of financial innovation and the AI center of Europe. Meanwhile, it has world-top educational resources, playing a leading role in various disciplines like technology, finance and economics.

In the overseas module study, we were specially honored to have invited the ultra-elite faculty team from Imperial College London and London School of Economics to talk about topics on digital currency, block chain, fintech, big data and cloud computing as well as the global economy.

Fudan University FMBA was lucky to invite the heavyweight guest, Christopher Pissarides, Professor in Economics at LSE, and Winner of the 2010 Noble Price in Economics. The professor shared his ideas on the topic of The Global Economy Post-Covid.

“Professor Pissarides introduced the global economic recovery after COVID-19, the opportunities and challenges brought by AI, changes in the global labor market, and the varieties of talents and soft skills indispensable for the development of the financial industry in the future.” said Student Yumeng Zhao, “He explained the profound in simple terms, taking us into the several major difficulties faced by the global economy. In the three-hour course of ideaS exchange, I learned a lot.”

After the course, Professor Pissarides had lunch with the students to carry on their friendly communication and issued the overseas study certificate with his personal signature.

The first course in London was given at the campus of Imperial College London in South Kingston by Professor Franklin Allen in person, Interim Dean of Business School of Imperial College London. He signified that he had a deep bond with FISF due to “fate,” and expressed a warm welcome to the students who had traveled afar to study and exchange ideas.

The topic of the course was Cryptocurrencies, Fintech, and Global Financial Structural Transformation and Innovation. “Professor Franklin Allen introduced the use OF Crypto, CBDC, ICOs, mechanism designs, profit models and various policies in major economies. He focused on the outlook of China’s digital currency, which allowed us to be deeply aware of the influence of digital currency policies from the perspective of global trading partners. Thanks to the overseas study module, I am now able to look at the hot field in a diversified and internationalized way.” said Zhijun Liu, a student engaged in risk strategies in the fintech industry.

Professor Yike Guo, a Tenured Professor at Imperial College London, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and Academician of the Royal Academy of Engineering, is also an expert second to none among Chinese in the research on AI and big data. He gave the course of The World of Artificial Intelligence, which guided the students into the world of AI. Student Jingjie Jiang stated: Professor Yike Guo has an insight into life from four viewpoints, concerning life, physics, information and cognition. He revealed the five functions of AI, perception, abstraction, prediction, decision and creation, and demonstrated the latest application scenarios of AI in medicine, transportation, music, dancing and many other fields. In his course, he made witty remarks frequently, and combined theories with practical examples, making up a feast of scientific wisdom.

Professor Yike Guo is also the founder of the Data Science Institution (DSI) of Imperial College London. Ever since the first day it was founded in 2014, DSI has set itself a mission of “empowering the world with data science” and devoted itself to promoting academic-enterprise integration and achieving data-driven development. Student Zhaoyu Huang gasped in admiration: “In DSI, we can truly listen to, look at and feel the charm of the frontier AI technology.”

02

Seeing Around London

Keywords:

Bloomberg, Google UK, Grant Thornton

London Stock Exchange, Lloyd's London

In order to help students better combine theories with practice and carry out “unity of knowledge and action”, the overseas module arranged a 2-day on-site visit to financial and technological enterprises. The institutions visited included: the London Stock Exchange, Google UK, Bloomberg UK, Lloyd’s London and Grant Thornton UK.

The program also invited the senior management of the enterprises who shared their insights on “ESG strategies and practices,” “building a cutting-edge fintech ecosystem through technology,” “a journey of digitization,” “insurance and re-insurance strategies” and other relevant topics, pushing the students further into the enterprise cultures, operation modes and frontier trends. The students, being practicing professionals in various financial fields in China themselves, also raised a series of penetrating questions, immersed in the exploration of financial practices together with these overseas experts of the same trade.

03

Having fun in London

Keywords:

City Walk, sensing the beauty of London

Morning run squad, leaping over the horizon

Course completion night banquet

With mixed weather, London has always been generous in showing different types of beauty, either in the rain or in the sunshine. Apart from the hardcore course study and practice, the program teachers also orchestrated abundant activities for the students, such as boarding the classic red UK-style bus to enjoy English afternoon tea, wandering around the financial city for a City Walk full of soul connection with the city, and experiencing immersive enjoyment in museums and art galleries complete with historical and artistic precipitation. They were able to comprehensively understand the beauty and power of London in finance, technological innovation, arts and humanities.

The students also spontaneously organized a morning run activity in London. In vigorous shapes and steady steps, they ran on London streets together with morning dew, passing by Big Ben and the London Eye like flying men, and eventually managed to appreciate the rosy clouds of dawn and the tower bridge bathed in the sunrise.

The farewell banquet was held in the vintage and gorgeous Council Room in a special Victorian-style townhouse in Imperial College London, which is also a dedicated venue for high-end banquets and internal senior conferences. Jun Qian, Executive Dean of FISF and Professor in Finance, and Chunliu Yang, Assistant Professor in Finance, were present and gave speeches. Linjiang Gong, Director of FMBA PT+ Program, and Chenglin Huang in charge of the overseas module, also gave a talk and awarded prizes to the students with an active performance during the overseas module study, encouraging the students to carry on the school motto of “learning extensively and having a firm and sincere aim; inquiring with earnestness and reflecting with self-application” of Fudan University while forging ahead.

At this point, the week-long study of Fudan University FMBA PT+ Overseas Module came to an end. It was destined to be an unforgettable week when the students cared about, focused on and connected with each other. In the days and nights in London, they applied a unique way to unlock this beautiful city with a long history, diversified culture, profound foundation and innovative vigor. In the future, they will always keep in mind what we have learned and start a new chapter of life with a broader vision.

04

Student experience

Lulu Chen, a 2022 FMBA PT+ student

During the journey in London, it seemed as if I had traveled through the long history and wandered in the soul city of Britain. I stepped into Imperial College London, a palace of modern science and innovation. The brand-new buildings and futuristic atmosphere there were telling us its determination to march forward and eagerness to never be satisfied with the present.

Jiaqing He, a 2022 FMBA PT+ student

This is the first course of Fudan University FMBA PT+ that traveled to Europe. My classmates and I were greatly honored to have the chance to participate in it, acquiring an in-depth feeling of the charm of the overseas course that crossed time zones and continents. The authentic and abundant 5-day course offered an opportunity for us to learn knowledge, exchange ideas and experience life in academic, commercial and cultural perspectives.

From an academic perspective: We successively listened to Professor Franklin Allen’s “Cryptocurrency” and Professor Yike Guo’s “Robot Learning” at Imperial College London, as well as Professor Pissarides’s “Global Economy” at the London School of Economics. Through the course, we not only know about the “guru” himself and the kindness of the Nobel Prize winner, but also have access to the wisdom of the scientists.

From commercial perspective: We visited the insurance market Lloyd's London, data expert Bloomberg, technology leader Google, professional and meticulous Grant Thornton and capital market London Stock Exchange. By visiting these enterprises, we were welcomed and recognized by UK experts in the same trade.

From a cultural perspective: We appreciated the cultural relics in The British Museum, the artworks in Tate Modern, the “speed” of the UK bus, and the “temperature” of the sandwiches.

Among all the knowledge learned, ideas exchanged and life experiences made, it was most noteworthy that “bilingual communication” and “question raising” had become a standard configuration throughout the whole journey. This not only helped the students deepen their understanding of the school motto of Fudan University but also displayed the cultural confidence of Chinese financial talents and students from a prestigious university.

Yijun Zhou, a 2022 FMBA PT+ student

This course study journey in London benefited me a lot. At Imperial College London, Professor Franklin Allen’s course covered all-round explanations on topics from fundamental knowledge like digital currency and blockchain to frontier technologies, while Professor Yike Guo’s course on cloud computing and robot learning led me to a deeper understanding of AI, enabling me to closely observe how to use a robot learning algorithm to settle practical issues and develop the ability of solve complex technical challenges on my own.

The visits to Google, the London Stock Exchange and other enterprises were also unforgettable experiences. At the headquarters of Google, I sincerely perceived the innovative atmosphere and forward-looking thinking of tech giants, which convinced me of the significance of technology drives to enterprise development; and in the London Stock Exchange, I witnessed the forefront of fintech, observing the overturn and opportunities for the financial industry in the digital era.

The precious course and visits granted me a more direct recognition of the integration between AI technology and industries, while also inspiring my determination to actively explore frontier technology fields in future career development. It will also act as the power source that drives me to forge ahead and the strong support that enables me to participate in industrial innovation.