During his visit to China last month, US President Barack Obama said he expects to intensify cooperation in student exchange and hopes the number of US students in China will rise to 100,000.

Obama's statement was made as a growing number of foreign students are already flocking to China to study in various higher learning institutions. The miraculous growth of China over the past three decades has made the country one of the top destinations for international students.

The first program in the capital city to meet fledgling demand as the nation continued on its path of reform and opening was the Beijing International MBA (BiMBA) at Peking University, begun in 1998 as the first joint international MBA program in Beijing approved by the Chinese government.

Operated by the National School of Development at Peking University, BiMBA has benefited from the excellent academic atmosphere at the university - one of the top higher learning institutions in China

BiMBA'a program includes participation in high-level dialog with local and global leaders, discussing China's present reforms and future development and the reconstruction of a global new order.

Its goal is to cultivate corporate leaders who are familiar with China's market environment as well as international business practices and are as a result empowered with a global vision and a local mindset.

A top business school

"At present, our goal is to build BiMBA into a world-class business school in China. I firmly believe that we can achieve the goal in the future regardless of hardship," said Professor Bruce Stening, the Vlerick International Dean of the BiMBA.

Over the past five years, the number of BiMBA international students has increased rapidly, with European students comprising 40 percent of BiMBA's total enrolment in 2009 and those from North America accounting for 20 percent.

Students from 16 countries and regions across Europe, America and Asia have now joined the program.

Today, increasing numbers of students come to China because of their interest in the Chinese market and to enhance their careers.

BiMBA is one of the top business schools in China in offering MBA programs to international students and distinguishes itself from many others by providing courses in English and internationalized classes.

International recognition

The school's MBA degree simultaneously received three authoritative international accreditations for the first time in China, - the Association to Advanced Collegiate Schools (AACSB), the European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS) and the Associations of MBAs (AMBA).

Its international recognition also ensures international students' development in other countries as well as China.

Thanks to the diverse sources and cultural backgrounds, international students usually make a wide range of friends in the BiMBA program, which helps them adapt to studying and living in China.

Murat Akcay from Germany said that "BiMBA's internationalized education and global view give me more knowledge about China and help me improve my competitiveness as well, which is favorable for my career development".

To help more international students learn about BiMBA, the business school promotes its program through diverse channels among employers, employees and other potential applicants.

For instance, BiMBA participates in the world's top MBA promotion tours - the MBA tour and World MBA tour - and visits about 20 cities across Europe, America, and Asia every year to recruit potential applicants

Its alumni network is another crucial aspect for BiMBA to attract prominent candidates with exciting development potential.

(China Daily 12/08/2009 page4)