I GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
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.
II PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Information before you left
We received an information package from Fudan University in the end of the spring semester 2011.
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. However, when you arrive in Shanghai you can go
to the Shanghai Exit-Entry Administration Bureau to apply for a multiple entry visa for a price of 300400 NOK. In this way you can travel as much in and out of China as you would like to. You may also
apply for a multiple entry visa at Fudan, but we found this to be very time consuming and inefficient so
we advice future Fudan students to apply for a visa at the Shanghai Exit-Entry Administration Bureau.
There are several airline companies flying to Shanghai. We booked our tickets with Turkish airways
and can fully recommend this airline. We were allowed to bring 30 kg luggage. The price of the tickets
was 5,500 NOK and we received 5,200 NOK from Lånekassen to cover this travel expense. However,
from 2013 SAS is planning on open a direct route from Oslo to Shanghai so this may be an alternative.
Academic Calendar
We arrived in Shanghai around mid-August 2011. This was nearly 3 weeks earlier than the start of the
introductory week, which was set to be 02.09.2011. In our opinion it was preferable to have 2-3 weeks
to arrange apartment, get to know the city and travel to Chinese cities nearby before the school
started. We had a relatively short semester, as our first day of classes was at 08.09.2011 and our last
class ended 17.12.2011. We 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.
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.
Before we arrived in Shanghai, we received a package with lots of information regarding our upcoming
exchange semester. When we finally arrived at the school, everything was well prepared for our arrival
and we received information on how to proceed when enrolling into the school.
Housing
We had the opportunity to rent a room at the university campus, but we decided to facilitate our own
housing in an apartment located between the “city center” and the Fudan University. Due to a large
supply of rental apartments in Shanghai, we did not have any problems finding an apartment when
arriving in Shanghai. The price level is generally quite low, so we lived in a large and up-to-date
apartment amounting to approximately 2500 NOK per month per person. We used a real estate
agency in our search for a place to live, and were very satisfied with their work.
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.
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. Maggie Yu is the coordinator for the MBA exchange
program. She 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. During the semester we also had a lot of contact with a woman called Rebecca. She is one of
the most positive people I have ever met, and provided us with a lot of useful information both through
e-mail but also with her presence in the different classes.
Exchange promotion
Well, 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 had
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
part of China it is still a part of China. That means that there is 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 is when you try to take a taxi or
are 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. Also, a non-credit Chinese language course
was offered to us by the Fudan University which we strongly advise you to participate to get the most
out of your exchange semester. Then you can travel around in China and explore the beautiful country
and its beautiful people.
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.
III ACADEMIC INFORMATION
The Teaching situation
All courses are taught in English. 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 my 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 an exam, 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 for Fudan International
and Asia MBA Program School of Management, Rebecca Li. She will help you with everything. 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 are received on email 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 students have at least two-years of relevant working experience and are
generally a bit older than yourself. 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.
Power & Negotiations
No prerequisites needed for this course.
Negotiation is something you learn by doing. So most class meeting for this course includes a handson case study or negotiation simulation designed to enhance your abilities, demonstrate concepts,
and/or provide you with opportunities to experiment with various negotiation techniques. Examples
are drawn not only from the business sector, but also from life outside work and from current events
around the world.
Grading is based on class participation 40% (20%=class attendance, 20%=class performance),
individual home assignment 30% and a group project 30%.
The course is very practical where most of the time is spent on class discussion and role plays. All in
all, we found this to be an easy course.
Marketing research and its business application
No prerequisites needed.
Marketing research serves as a central basis for marketing strategy and firm profitability by providing
information relevant to marketing decision making. It is critical for managers (including those who do
not work in a marketing research function) to understand the nature of marketing research and to be
able to specify what information to seek, how to get it, and how to utilize it in making marketing
decisions. This course is aimed to provide students with an overview of marketing research in terms of
needs, definition, process, analysis and reporting.
Grading is based on class attendance/participation 20%, group project 30% and home assignment
50%.
The workload in this course was the heaviest amongst the courses we took at Fudan. However,
compared to courses at BI the workload was not heavy. This course had a mix of theory and practice.
All in all we found this course to be moderately easy.
Luxury and Fashion brand management
No prerequisites needed.
This course is an introduction of key management issues for fashion and luxury industry including all
product categories, such as fashion, watch&jewellery, leather goods, footwear, accessories,
wine&spirits and luxury services. The course is based on theory explanation and real case analysis,
combining with industry senior managers’ guest speech and insights sharing.
Grading is based on class attendance 20%, class participation 30% and individual home assignment
50%.
This was a practical and easy course. We had some interesting guest speakers during the semester
from different luxury and fashion companies.
New Venture Creation: from Theory to Practice
No prerequisites needed.
The “New Venture Creation: from Theory to Practice” course provides students with a comprehensive
overview and hands-on practice of the “entrepreneurial experience”. The course highlights not only the
rewards and what-to-do’s for entrepreneurs, but also the pains and what-not-to-do’s. In addition, the
course builds upon entrepreneurial theories and emphasizes the practical applications of the theories
by incorporating numerous real world examples.
Grading is based on 30% class participation, 40% individual home assignments and 30% group
presentation.
This was the most practical course of all. Every lecture was discussion based and had very little
theory. During the semester we had a guest speakers from a venture capitalist firm.
Direct Investment in the Emerging Markets
No prerequisites needed.
This course prepares students for making decisions about investing directly in the Emerging Markets
(or BRICs economies). The Emerging Markets account for nearly half the global economy and a
growing source of revenue for Chinese companies, such as Haier, Huawei or China Railway
Construction. The course is suitable for students wanting to execute business strategies for foreign or
Chinese companies in Emerging Markets. The course provides students with the economic and
theoretical tools for analyzing opportunities in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. It also
relies heavily on case studies of both companies and countries. The course also invites foreign and
Chinese speakers to explain the practice of investing in Emerging Markets -- including private equity
managers, international business development managers, public relations specialists, and former
Ambassadors.
Grading was based on class participation, pass or fail individual assignment and a group presentation.
This was the most interesting course we took at Fudan. The lecturer of this course is Ben
Simpfendorfer which works as chief economist for Royal Bank of Scotland in Hong Kong. He brought
in some very prominent guest speakers such as; Jeffrey Towson, Alp Alptun and Tony Shi. They
provided a lot of insight and practical understanding and examples into the course. For instance, Mr.
Towson has worked 8 years as CFO for prince Alwaleed bin Talal in Saudi Arabia.
Game theory and Business Strategy
Some basic microeconomics course is needed.
Grading was based on 10% class performance and 90% group based simulation game.
This course was a mix between theory and practice. The grade mainly consisted of a game played
through the semester. 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.