Fudan is one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in China. It was founded in the year 1905 and consists of 28 schools and departments. Currently, Fudan University enrolls around 50,000 students each year. In 2010, there were nearly 3,600 students from overseas.
Information before you leave
We received an information package from Fudan University in the end of the spring semester 2012.
The package contained all necessary information needed such as; visa application papers, student handbook and other papers regarding the exchange semester at Fudan University. As long as you follow all the deadlines you receive in the admission package, everything should be fine.
Visa Procedure and travel experiences
We applied for a visa at the Chinese embassy in Oslo. All the necessary papers were included in the admission package from Fudan University so the process was not difficult. The price for a visa was
500 NOK. When you apply for a visa to China you need to apply for a single-entry visa meaning that you cannot leave China while being on exchange. Only if you have booked a round trip from Shanghai and can show the tickets when applying for visa it is possible to apply for a multiple entry. However, applying for a multiple entry can also be done in Shanghai at the Exit-Entry Administration Bureau for a price of 300-400 NOK. The school provides the health examination that is required to apply for multiple entry visa, we had ours just after school started and received the bill of clean health a few weeks after that.
There are several airline companies flying to Shanghai. W e booked our tickets with Qatar Airways and can fully recommend this airline, however the bag allowance is only 23kg and hand luggage 8kg, and it was not possible to pay for an extra bag on the return. The price of the tickets was 5400 NOK and we received 5200 NOK from L ånekassen to cover this travel expense.
Academic Calendar
We arrived in Shanghai at the end of August 2012, nearly two weeks before semester start, which was set to be September 10th. In our opinion it was preferable to have two weeks to arrange apartment, get to know the city and so on before the school started. Students that arrived close up to semester start had more difficulties to find an available apartment. W e attended the MBA-program at Fudan, which means that we had a more practical oriented way of learning. This means that we did not have an examination period, but our grade consisted of different aspects such as attending classes, class discussion, assignments and presentations. The semester is divided into two, with a 1-2 week

vacation between the two semesters. Many of the international students choose to have all the courses in the first semester, hence finishing all classes by the middle of November, as opposed to the beginning of January when the second semester ends. This went very well in terms of workload and also gave us the opportunity to travel around and still make it home for Christmas.
Reception
The reception at the school was very good. Fudan had arranged a welcome dinner and party where incoming exchange students could meet and mingle with the local students already enrolled at the school. Every student was also assigned a buddy to help you settle in at the school and in the city. It is highly recommended to contact your buddy, preferable before you leave as he/she can be very helpful both before and after arriving in Shanghai.
Before we arrived in Shanghai, we received a package with lots of information regarding our upcoming exchange semester. The enrollment system was a bit cumbersome, and you have to buy insurance at school in order to be able to complete the registration, regardless of which insurances you might have already. The different applications require several pictures of you, so we would recommend taking photos before you leave Norway as it can be difficult to find a photo booth when you need it.
Housing
We had the opportunity to rent a room at the university campus, but this is not recommended as these are of poor standard. W e decided to facilitate our own housing in an apartment located between the
“city center” and Fudan University at Linping road. Due to a large supply of rental apartments in
Shanghai, we did not have any problems finding an apartment when arriving in Shanghai. However, very few Chinese speak English which can make the process a little difficult, but your buddy might ease this problem, especially when signing the contract (which is in Chinese). The price level is generally low, and the standard of the apartments can vary. It is common to pay for three months rent, plus one month deposit in cash when you move in! It is also worth noting that Shanghai gets pretty cold from the middle of November to February, some attention should be paid to the isolation and heating in the apartment you rent if you are staying through this period.
We rented a large two-store and up-to-date apartment amounting to approximately 3600 NOK per month per person. It is possible to find cheaper apartments, but you should expect that the standard will be lower as well. W e used a real estate agency in the area we wanted to live in our search for a place, and were shown several apartments in different price categories until we found the apartment we wanted.
Costs
In general, the price level in China and Shanghai is low. However, Shanghai is becoming more and more international so if you want to be a big spender, you can. The biggest fixed expense for us was the housing cost. Literature for the school was not expensive and was provided by the international office at Fudan. Moreover, food was inexpensive. You could buy cheap food at the local supermarket.

You could easily cook a delicious and healthy meal for 20-30 NOK. Otherwise you could go out and eat, either at the street where you find noodles, rice and beef for 5 NOK (health issue and hygiene is a risk you have to decide yourself), or you could eat at restaurants for 30-70 NOK. You can also find a lot of international and western restaurants which has a bit higher prices compared to the local restaurants.
The International Office
There is an international office at Fudan University where students can drop by if they have any questions regarding life at school or in the city. The coordinator has from the very beginning prepared us for the exchange semester through informational e-mails. This was very helpful and we got an overview regarding important deadlines and dates. However, have in mind that everything takes time in
China.
Exchange promotion
It was not arranged any activities for promoting exchange to home universities, but we talked warmly regarding Norway and BI Norwegian Business School to everyone that was interested. In our opinion, many international and local Chinese students seemed very interested in our country and wanted to get more information regarding culture, language and possibilities for exchange to Norway.
Social Activities
Our relationship to other students was very good. In almost every class there was a mix of international students and local Chinese students. People are generally very open-minded and we had no problems bonding with our classmates. Regarding the relationship between the exchange students, I would emphasize that every student is in the same position, so meeting new people and making new friends is essential for having a successful semester. There are several student organizations that you are more than welcome to join, but during our stay we did not attend any of those. However, Fudan
University did organize a couple of gatherings and trips, which contributed to better relationship building with the other students. Generally I am very pleased with everything Fudan University has offered us. They were really structured and professional, and tried to help their students in the best way possible.
Culture and Language
Traveling to China is an interesting experience. Even though Shanghai is more westernized than other parts of China, it is still a part of China. That means that there are few people speaking English and the culture is different from what you may be used to here in Norway. However, at Fudan the staff and the other students spoke English well. The problems you may encounter are when you try to take a taxi, ordering food at a restaurant or try to talk to people on the street in general.
If you want to experience the country and the culture you have millions of opportunities. The best advice we can give is to make friends with local Chinese people and let them teach you some of the language (most important phrases) and about the culture.

Communication
It is possible to buy prepaid SIM cards on the streets, but usage is more expensive than if you have a monthly subscription package. Therefore, we would recommend you to sign up for subscription at
China Mobile or China Unicom. Most of the international students seemed to have the first, but the latter seemed to have better reception and being cheaper. China Unicom also has a faster 3G network that works with phones that support WCDMA in the 2100 MHz band (iPhone 4S and 5 for instance), while China Mobile only gives the much slower edge. Remember to bring your passport when registering.
In addition, if you have a smart-phone we would recommend you to download apps like “HiShanghai” or “SmartShanghai”, which is really helpful and a true lifesaver. Here you can search for whatever you are looking for, such as shopping, restaurants, clubs and so on, and it provides you the address in
Chinese, which you can show the taxi drivers that rarely speaks English. After downloading these to your phone, you can access it without being connected to Internet 
Cultural and Social Effects from the Exchange Experience
The exchange semester has indeed affected us from a cultural and social point of view. The Chinese culture is very different from the western culture in many ways. The Chinese culture has an ancient history in which is embedded into the heart and soul of the Chinese people today. It is difficult to explain about Chinese culture, one simply has to experience it. And once you experience it with an open mind, you become amazed how friendly and peaceful the Chinese people are. In today ’s globalized world where the Chinese economy is growing to become one of the largest, we believe an understanding of the Chinese culture is essential. At least if you seek an international career. This can be best illustrated by the conflict between China and Norway due to the Nobel peace prize.
Hopefully during a semester in China you will mature and learn about Chinese culture and perhaps yourself. This experience will undoubtedly benefit your future career, especially if you seek an international career. However, in any business context it is important to show a pragmatic approach which we believe an exchange semester will help you achieve.
The Teaching situation
All courses are taught in English and the professors spoke generally very well, so we did not experience any problems with the communication. We attended the MBA program, so the teaching was primarily practical. The professor used a mix of cases, group work, guest lecturers and presentations when teaching the class. In our opinion, the level of study and workload was a bit lower than the level at BI. The relationship between students in the classroom could not have been better.

During the first weeks you will get a good connection to both exchange students and the local students in your class.
Required Literature
All of our literature was in English and provided to us by the Department of Management. It was generally a very high level on the literature. The professors did not focus on the literature when teaching, but rather their own lecture slides. The literature was rather used as a place you could look up specific topics and get more detailed knowledge. We did not have any exams, so in our case we had to, in a certain degree, use the literature when working on the different presentations.
Exams
Our grades were given based on a mixed evaluation ranging from class attendance, class discussion, group work with presentation, and individual or group assignments.
Other
Students at Fudan have easy access to all the facilities at school that you may want to use. If there should be any problem with anything you should contact your contact person at Fudan International.
As far as we remember, you have access to computers through the school. However, we all brought our own laptops so we did not use any of the schools computers. In terms of the teaching situation, in some courses the teacher allows you to use a computer and in others they do not. Most of the information needed from the courses is received on e-mail or sometimes in class.
General comments about courses at Fudan
When you are on an exchange to Fudan University, you attend a so called MBA program. This means that most of your fellow Chinese students have at least two-years of relevant working experience and are generally a bit older than yourself. However, the international students were in general the same age as us. The program is a very practical program where the focus is placed on discussions and case analysis. The general workload is not heavy and as long as you attend classes, hand in assignment and participate in discussions you will do fine. Grading is not as tough and strict as at BI.
There is an important aspect related to choosing courses, as this is done during the summer. W e received a mail in good time before the selection process started with information about the process and the courses. In order to get the courses you want, we recommend you to decide which courses you want and log into the student portal as soon as the selection starts, as the courses fill up quite fast. It should be possible to change courses in the beginning of the semester, but this can be a bit difficult.

Operation management according to lean principles
50%: In-class participation
10%: Individual written assignment
40%: Group project
This course is very interesting and the German professor is very talented. He is also a manager at
Bosch and took the class on a field trip to the Bosch factory outside Shanghai to see lean management in real life. This was the most interesting course we took at Fudan University, and it is highly recommended.
Game theory and Business Strategy
Grading was based on:
20%: Class participation and homework
50%: Group based simulation strategy game
30%: Take home exam
This course was a mix between theory and practice. The grade mainly consisted of a game played through the semester and shorter assignments done individually and in groups. No especially theory was needed to play the grade. In general the workload was not heavy and we found this to be an easy course.
Technology strategy
Grading was based on:
25%: Class participation and class discussion
75%: Group case assignment
This course was a one week intensive course by a p rofessor from MIT. The classes were based on discussing cases, and writing a group case. W e found the cases to be highly technological, but it is not too difficult and a good group case assignment will ensure a good grade.
Cross cultural management
Grading based on:
20%: Class participation (much dependent on attendance)
30%: Reviews of case studies, international movie, international radio and so on.
50%: Presentation of group project
The basis for grading may vary from year to year.

This course is based on discussing cross-cultural topic such as similarities, issues etc. You have to write several short book, article and movie reviews and post them on a group at LinkedIn, and you comment on other students ’ reviews. In terms of the book reviews you don’t need to read a whole book, only enough to get the basic insights. Furthermore, the majority of the discussions are based on personal experiences and thoughts. The workload is not too much and the course is relatively easy.
Human resource management
30%: Learning papers (3 submissions - 10 points each)
10%: Team case analysis
20%: Class Participation
40%: Group assignment
This course is a basic human resource course, and the grading is based on different assignments conducted both individually and in groups. The workload is ok, and the course is relatively easy.
Project Management
40%: Cases (4 submissions - 10 points each)
10%: Class attendance and participation
50%: Group assignment
This was one of the intense courses that run over one week with an external lecturer. The class discussed cases and had guest presentations from various international companies operating in
China, as well as slides and stories from the professors own extensive experience. Workload was not as high as one would expect from one-week courses.
Applied Macro & International Economics
20%: Class Participation
80%: Final Examination
This course is a great way to refresh macro from a BBA and take it one step further with lots of information about the Chinese economy. The professor assigns cases to each class and complements the learning points with slides of his own. Our final exam was in January, and it was open book with two short hours to complete 4-5 questions on the economy of an imaginary country. The workload was a bit higher than most other courses as there were a lot of cases to read.