SKEMA and XJTU celebrate 2025 MSc EI graduation, marking a milestone in Sino-French academic cooperation

Building Global Bridges in Higher Education 

The grand ceremony brought together more than a hundred attendees, including senior leaders from both institutions, faculty members, project teams, alumni, graduates, and their families.  

In his opening remarks, XJTU Vice President Dan Zhiwei congratulated the graduates and highlighted the university’s commitment to global engagement through initiatives such as the “Silk Road University Alliance.” He urged students to become “wise masters of change,” “pioneering innovators,” and “messengers connecting China and the world,” promoting responsible innovation and cross-cultural understanding.

SKEMA Dean &Executive President, Aice Guilhon, commended the strong partnership between the two universities and presented the school’s 2025–2030 strategic plan “UNVEIL.” Addressing the graduates, she offered four action principles — Seek, Commit, Build, and Grow — encouraging them to combine self-reflection, innovation, teamwork, and lifelong learning to address the world’s evolving challenges.

Empowering a New Generation of Innovators

Professor Feng Gengzhong, XJTU Dean of the School of Management, emphasized the program’s focus on transformative thinking and innovation in artificial intelligence, quoting Peter Drucker to inspire graduates to adapt with forward-looking logic. SKEMA Vice President Professor Patrice Houdayer praised the MEI program as a model of Sino-French higher education cooperation, reaffirming SKEMA’s intent to deepen collaboration in research, teaching, and exchanges.

The ceremony featured speeches from professors, program directors, and student representatives, all reflecting on the transformative learning journey and the program’s impact in combining technology and management education. Graduates were conferred dual degrees by representatives from both institutions, symbolizing their academic accomplishments and future responsibilities as global innovators.

On the eve of the ceremony, Dr. Alice Guilhon met with XJTU President Zhang Liqun, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to advancing inter-university collaboration, internationalizing higher education, and jointly nurturing global governance talent, setting the stage for expanded cooperation between the two schools.

Joint Educational Fruit between France and China

The programme focuses on developing an international perspective, innovative spirit, and practical expertise, equipping students to navigate globalization challenges and contributing to the future of world higher education. Aimed at training future elites and industry leaders in entrepreneurship and innovation, the MSc EI (Big Data and Artificial Intelligence Management) began at the start of the 2020 academic year. At the end of the two years of study, students receive the diploma of SKEMA (MSc), which is recognized by the Chinese Ministry of Education.