Action Learning (iLab)
Fudan MBA iLab Business Consulting Project
 
With the aim of Cultivating Young Elites and Future Leaders in Industry and Commerce, and on the basis of our educational belief in Learning by Doing, we have designed the iLab Business Consulting Project (iLab) for the Fudan IMBA students to bridge students’ managerial theories and practice in real business and social environment since 2005. By providing students with resources and guidance, the iLab endeavors to create an academic and social atmosphere which cultivates experiential and dynamic learning.
 
From 2005 to 2020, we succeeded in completing 261 iLab projects with 210 partner companies across a wide range of industries. The partner companies include IBM, Intel, LG, Huawei, Portugal Telecom, ExxonMobil, Corning, Michelin China, Business Finland, Chia Tai Group, Fosun Group, Yum!, McDonald’s China, Burger King China, Popeyes, LYFEN, Shanghai Real Estate Group, Jingrui, MSD China, Pfizer, Sanofi, CICC, Orient Securities, Symrise, Lane Crawford, SEPHORA, Coty Group, VIPABC, Beijing Superstar Group, Changeway, Bosch, Volvo, and etc. The iLab teams developed internationalization strategies, sales and marketing strategies, new market entry analysis, innovative relationship mode, organizational structure plans, distribution & service model, risk management recommendations and new e-commerce business model, etc. Partner company needs are the sole drivers of project focus, and consistently positive partner company feedback has shaped the growth of the iLab for the coming year.
 
The study will be conducted within the framework of the Fudan MBA iLab, which is a 3-credit course given within the Fudan IMBA curriculum. IMBA students are required to join at least one of the iLab projects, participating in practical business activities in teams (3-5 per team). Guidance will be provided by faculty members at the school.

iLab Overview

Global iLab

A. Fudan – MIT China Lab Collaborated with MIT

Initiated by MIT Sloan School of Management in 2008, each Fudan – MIT China Lab team composed of 2 MIT Sloan MBA students and 2 Fudan IMBA students works on what is essentially a 5-month, mini-consulting project. With entrepreneurship and innovation as its themes, China Lab offers professional advice for companies on subjects including but not limited to: Initial Setup and development, Internationalization, Marketing Development, Capital-raising Strategies, Organizational Structure Plans, Commercialization Strategies, and Landscape Competing Strategies.

B. Fudan – Business Finland iLab Collaborated with Business Finland

Launched in 2012, the Fudan-Business Finland iLab is a joint program with Business Finland. The Fudan-Business Finland iLab team composed of 4 Fudan IMBA students and 1 part-time MBA student consults with a Finnish company interested in entering or expanding its position in the Chinese market. The purpose of the Fudan-Business Finland iLab is to provide students with an enriching educational experience that will increase their understanding of current issues and further their career aspirations, while on the other hand, to assist companies from Finland with their international expansion efforts.

C. Thailand – China Lab Collaborated with Chulalongkorn University

In 2018, Fudan School of Management signed a memorandum of cooperation with Sasin School of Management, Chulalongkorn University, which officially became the partner of Global iLab program. Three IMBA students from Fudan School of Management and three MBA students from Sasin School of Management, Chulalongkorn University work together in order to develop a strategic plan for Thai companies looking to enter or consolidate in the Chinese market, or for Chinese companies with the interest to enter or expand the business in the Thai market. The project will be conducted under the guidance of faculty mentors from Fudan School of Management and Sasin School of Management.

D. Australia – China Lab Collaborated with the University of Queensland

Launched in 2014, the Australia – China Lab offers the MBA students access to a global experience that involves approaching an actual business problem. Five IMBA students from Fudan School of Management and five MBA students from University of Queensland Business School consult with client companies interested in entering or expanding its position in the Australian market or in the Chinese markets. The project will be conducted under the guidance of faculty mentors from Fudan School of Management and UQ Business School.

E. Portugal - China Lab Collaborated with the Lisbon MBA

Launched in 2011, the Portugal-China Lab provides students with a breadth of academic curriculum and a unique learning experience in an overseas environment. Each year, a company in Portugal or in China selects a business project to be developed by MBA students and sponsors the initiative. The project team is composed of 3 Fudan MBA students and 3 Lisbon MBA students who are to work together in summer for 7 or 8 weeks (the first two weeks in China, next three or four weeks of virtual work, and the final two weeks in Portugal). They are mentored by the faculty both from Lisbon MBA and Fudan School of Management.

F. Wharton - Fudan Global Consulting Practicum (closed in 2017)

Local iLab

The goal of the local iLab projects is to engage students with senior management of successful companies and to challenge them to develop an understanding of the kinds of strategic and business objectives that are involved in solving a variety of business problems. The students will learn to apply the concepts, methods and paradigms from their classes to a specific business circumstance, as they do in the global iLab, but in this case the clients are local or multinational companies based in Shanghai and the iLab teams are consisted of only Fudan IMBA students. The partner companies we’ve worked with include IBM, Intel, LG, ExxonMobil, Michelin China, Chia Tai Group, McDonald’s China, Burger King China, Popeyes, Shanghai Real Estate Group, Jingrui, MSD China, Pfizer, Sanofi, CICC, Orient Securities, Symrise, Lane Crawford, SEPHORA, Coty Group, Beijing Superstar Group, Bosch, Volvo, and etc. The range of topics covers internationalization strategies, sales and marketing strategies, new market entry analysis, digital marketing, innovative relationship mode, organizational structure plans, distribution & service model, risk management recommendations and new e-commerce business model, etc.

The Partner Companies
Comments from Clients

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