At the School of Management, Fudan University, first-year International MBA students are even busier than they used to be.

Beside the MBA core courses and electives, they are encouraged to participate in experiential learning programs to apply their understanding of business theory through numerous out-of-classroom activities offered by the School.

"With the transformation of China's economic development, the old model of business education is unable to meet the requirements of modern business education," Dean of the School of Management, Fudan University,Lu Xiongwen said.

"A business school needs to provide a framework for students to think in broader terms about their role in business and society, and prepare them with the knowledge and experience to respond to the challenges of a rapidly changing world," Lu said.

Launched in 1996 through collaboration between the Fudan University School of Management and the MIT Sloan School of Management, Fudan International MBA (IMBA) is highlighted with the curriculum of the IMBA Program, which aims to cultivate business elites and future leaders with international perspectives and local insights through developing students' systematic theoretical knowldge and managerial skills.

The school supports a broad range of activities that help Fudan IMBA students to develop a perspective on how to apply business skills to social enterprise endeavors and align personal and professional values in careers that result in social benefits to a broader community.

More than 100 first and second-year IMBA students participated in this year's Experiential Learning Program (ELP), which includes Industrial Analysis project, "JOIN" Consulting Project, China-lab global business consulting project, the "JOIN" Business Plan Competition as well as global competitions or international exchange programs.

Fudan JOIN Consulting Project is designed to leverage the expertise and research backgrounds of faculty members and MBAs to provide unbiased perspectives and strategic insights into real businesses.

All teams are tutored by one academic professor and another business practitioner, selected from a large alumni pool.

Students can learn and apply their skills to real corporate challenges.

Professors apply their knowledge and mentor students. Client companies get unique, cost-efficient solutions.

In the Fudan-MIT (Sloan) China Lab Project, nine students from Fudan and another seven from MIT formed four teams.

The consulting teams interact with high-level executives to analyze and recommend solutions and implementation strategies for their clients.

From marketing consulting to HR management, from local entrepreneur to transnational company, this year's programs were still diversified as before, challenging the participants in their knowledge base and experimental approaches.

"The China Lab Project provides not only networking opportunities with young elites from top business schools and resourceful and professional brainstorming for consulting solutions but also valuable experience to become an insider to understand the obstacle enterprises face in their development stage," said Rhita Li, one of the China Lab participants.

"More than that, it offers a decent platform for us to communicate with firm decision makers and observe their perspective, concerns, learn about those decision makers' professional vision and think as they think."

Study abroad is another experience, which allows students to immerse themselves in a new culture, and experience business from a global perspective.

In today's global economy, an MBA with international experience is quite popular in the job market.

Fudan International MBA Program students have the opportunity to spend part of their program abroad at one of the school's international exchange partner schools.

FDSM has exchange or study abroad relationships with over 40 renowned business schools around the world.

"I think each IMBA student should have at least one overseas experience during the two-year study," said one of the students who went to the USA for exchange.

"It gives a fresh perspective to look at the world you're used to, survival training and a good trip to a country you're interested in. Opportunities abound here as long as you are committed."