Day Two of the Global Network Week 2014 commenced today at the School of Business, Renmin University of China. Under the overall theme of “Managing Relationships in China: a State-Owned Enterprise Perspective” today’s activities focused on China’s thriving banking sector. Professor Shuye Wang of the School of Business, Renmin University of China presented a lecture entitled “Banking in China” which charted the history and evolution of China’s Financial Markets up to the modern day. Students learned that the first banking transaction in the world appeared in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) while the first paper currency known as “Jiaozi” was issued in China’s Sichuan Province in 1024. Professor Wang noted that the Forbes’ 2000 index of the world’s largest public companies placed Chinese banks in each of the top three positions globally in 2014.

Professor Wang’s lecture on China’s Banking Industry

Students were later joined by Ms. Siwei Wang, Credit Approvals Manager at Bank of China who spoke about the history, current operations and future ambitions of the world’s ninth largest bank by market capitalization. Ms. Siwei offered advice on how to best serve Chinese customers and stated that Bank of China’s key requirement for Relationship Managers was for them to “learn and clearly understand their customers’ business.”

Following a brief lunch students reconvened to make the journey to the headquarters of China Minsheng Bank. Founded in 1996, China Minsheng Bank is the first bank in China to be majority-owned by non-government enterprises. It is best known for lending to small and medium-sized businesses and had 2.59 trillion RMB ($423 billion USD) of assets under its management at the end of 2013. Groups touring the facility learned about the institution’s history and experienced the Bank’s consumer and private banking services. Bank Officials noted that Minsheng invests heavily in new technology in order to ensure sustained market share growth andmaintain competitiveness in the rapidly changing banking market.

Following the tour MBA students were invited to a Q&A session with 9 senior level employees from the management team at Minsheng including Ms. Wu Jiang (Deputy Director of the Executive Office), Mr. Yang Yue (VP of Financial Markets), Mr. Xu Qiang (Vice General HR Manager), Mr. XuQiang (Vice General Manager of Human Resources Department), Mr. JuWeiyu (Assistant General Manager of Retail Banking Department), Mr. Liu Honglin (Section Chief in Legal Compliance Department), Mr. Hong Liang (Financial Market Department), Mr. Dun Lin (Director of the Executive Office of Beijing Branch) and Ms. Ge Qing and Mr. Song Jian’er (Presidents of Sub-branches).

Group picture of everyone at Mingsheng Bank

Minsheng officials offered a frank and honest exchange on topics from global expansion and risk management to the challenge of micro-credit to traditional banking. The discussion gave students a unique opportunity to apply learning obtained in lectures held earlier the same day. During the event it was discovered that the majority of officials present were in-fact Renmin graduates with two being graduates from Renmin’s MBA program. Ms. Wu Jiang declared that Renmin graduates had played a crucial role in Minsheng’s rapid growth over the past eighteen years and described the School of Business at Renmin University of China as “The cradle of financial business talent in China.”

About The Global Network Week

Launched by the Global Network for Advanced Management and Yale School of Management in 2013 the Global Network Week has expanded to over 27 schools from 25 nations. Global Network Week gives students the opportunity to travel to another school for a one-week intensive mini-course.

About the School of Business, Renmin University of China

Founded in 1950 Renmin University of China was the first university in the People’s Republic of China to offer business studies degrees. The School of Business, Renmin University of China is both EQUIS and AACSB accredited and in 2013 was ranked first in national rankings in the field of Business Administration by China’s Ministry of Education. Renmin first commenced its MBA program in 1990 and later launched it’s International MBA program (in English) in 2009. Since 1990 over 6,000 students have successfully graduated from the School of Business’s MBA programs.