On the afternoon of November 13th, the opening ceremony for the Cohort 2025 of the Executive PhD/DBA in Innovation program was grandly held at the International Exchange Activity Center of the New Tsinghua Auditorium. This ceremony brought together academic leaders, program supervisors, and all new students from the Chinese and Italian universities, jointly witnessing the official launch of the new Cohort of doctoral students’ academic journey.
Professor Jizhen LI, the Professor at the School of Economics and Management (SEM) of Tsinghua University, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of Tsinghua University Asset Management Co., Ltd., and Chinese Academic Director of the Executive PhD/DBA in Innovation program; Professor Sergio TERZI, Dean of International Affairs at the Graduate School of Management (GSoM) of Politecnico di Milano, and Professor at the Department of Management, Economics and Industrial Engineering of Politecnico di Milano; Professor Michela ARNABOLDI, Director of the Doctoral School at the Department of Management, Economics and Industrial Engineering of Politecnico di Milano; Professor Yao LU, Professor at the Department of Finance of SEM, Tsinghua University, Director of the China Financial Research Center, and Chinese Academic Director of the Executive PhD/DBA in Innovation program; and Professor Marco MACCHI, Full Professor at the Department of Management, Economics and Industrial Engineering of Politecnico di Milano, and Italian Academic Director of the Executive PhD/DBA in Innovation program, were among the distinguished guests who attended the ceremony. The ceremony was hosted by Yingjun ZHANG, Chinese Program Director of the Executive PhD/DBA in Innovation program, General Manager of QINGLAN RONGHE Keji Fuwu (affiliated to Tsinghua University Asset Management Co., Ltd.), and Chairman of ZHUOER Education.
Professor Jizhen LI first extended a warm welcome to all new students. He reviewed the fruitful achievements made in the first three cohorts of the program and pointed out that the launch of the Cohort 2025 is not only an opening ceremony, but also a new start centered on “sustained innovation and common growth”. “The core value of the Executive PhD/DBA in Innovation program lies in exploring the world with the rationality of scientific research and understanding the world with the warmth of humanity,” Professor Jizhen LI emphasized. The interdisciplinary, cross-cultural, and cross-industry cultivation system built by the program aims to develop students’ “transboundary wisdom” – the ability to identify directions amid uncertainty and find order in complexity. He encouraged the new students to become “new sparks” for the innovation cooperation between the Chinese and Italian universities, cherish every moment of ideological collision, maintain a dedicated academic attitude, keep their passion alive in exploration, and find their own brilliance in research.
Professor Sergio TERZI extended warm congratulations to the new students. He pointed out that the Executive PhD/DBA in Innovation program has always been committed to building an open innovation ecosystem. By deeply integrating the top academic and industrial resources of the Chinese and Italian universities, the program gives full play to the advantages of interdisciplinary methodologies and innovative thinking. He specifically emphasized that the “Sino-Italian dual supervisor” team assigned to each student by the program is a core guarantee for supporting students to develop their personal research interests, make original contributions in business practice, and ultimately achieve the coordinated development of their careers and academic pursuits.
Professor Michela ARNABOLDI then delivered a speech, extending a warm welcome to the new students for joining the Executive PhD/DBA in Innovation program and offering best wishes for their academic journey.
Professor Yao LU profoundly elaborated on the essence of doctoral studies. She pointed out that doctoral study is a journey from “absorbing knowledge” to “creating knowledge,” and its most precious part lies in understanding the relationship with problems—specifically, the ability to identify and redefine problems. “Authentic research has never been about repeating others’ paths; instead, it is about finding one’s own way of raising questions in this complex world,” Professor LU emphasized. She noted that doctoral research values the academic state of being fully dedicated to in-depth exploration, and encouraged the students to cultivate academic works with profound ideological depth through sufficient patience, perseverance, and persistence. She emphasized that as research progresses, the rigor of data and the adequacy of evidence are of crucial importance. Whether it is theoretical research or empirical research, both ultimately rely on “authentic data” and “genuine efforts.” Taking the remarkable progress of previous students in academic expression and data analysis as an example, she encouraged the new students to move forward steadily and proactively establish a close and efficient communication mechanism with their supervisors.
Professor Marco MACCHI delivered a passionate speech on-site. He emphasized that innovation and education are two core pillars for building the future, and that any meaningful transformation cannot be achieved overnight—it must be forged through enduring perseverance, steady progress, and unwavering commitment. He skillfully quoted the ancient Chinese saying “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step,” and inspired all new students: “The road ahead may be long, but with perseverance as our compass and innovation as our engine, every step will bring us closer to an extraordinary future.”
The exploration of theory requires verification through practice, and the first-hand experiences and insights of senior students (alumni of earlier cohorts) provide valuable references for the new students. Jiacheng FU, a doctoral student from Cohort 2021, delivered a sharing session themed “Five Insights from Doctoral Studies,” recounting his mental journey of transitioning from a knowledge consumer to a knowledge creator. He emphasized that doctoral study is a transformation of thinking patterns and a “slow-variable” growth process. He also elaborated on how, under the “dual supervisor system,” he maintained the pace and direction of his research through regular and efficient communication. Eventually, he successfully applied his research findings on artificial intelligence and electricity market forecasting to commercial practices across seven provinces, achieving a closed loop of academic and commercial value.
Chunru LIU, another doctoral student from the Cohort 2021, shared practical insights from three perspectives: research topic selection, time management, and communication with supervisors. She advised the new students to choose research topics that are closely related to their own industries and have feasibility, as this would help them maintain sustained research enthusiasm and feed back to their current work. Meanwhile, as enterprise leaders or senior executives, they need to implement refined time management, noting that “they should carry their laptops every day and never forget their identity as students.” In addition, she placed special emphasis on the initiative in communicating with supervisors, and shared her experience in advancing the entire process—from literature review and experiment design to thesis writing—through regular monthly communications.
Jimin LIU, a doctoral student from the Cohort 2023, combined his experience of leading Yutong Packaging to become an industry leader, and compared doctoral studies to a journey of “seeking the true essence” for corporate innovation. He encouraged the new students to maintain enthusiasm for learning, uphold their determination to explore, and make full use of resources such as courses, overseas study tours, and supervisors to achieve a leap in personal cognition, thereby lighting the guiding light for the innovative development of enterprises.
The sincere sharing from senior students (alumni of earlier cohorts) provided valuable references for the new students. Subsequently, Hu YANG, the representative of the Cohort 2025, expressed the shared aspirations of all new students. He stated that choosing to return to campus at this moment is a self-initiated “vision expansion” and “thinking challenge” amid his ongoing professional rhythm. He expressed his expectation to deeply explore management decision-making mechanisms in cross-cultural contexts through this program, cherish the ideological exchanges with peers from diverse industry backgrounds, and jointly embark on a rigorous, equal, and collaborative academic journey.
The opening ceremony concluded successfully in a grand and warm atmosphere.
Supervisor Meeting: Discussing Research Blueprints Together and Inspiring Academic Ideas
In the supervisor meeting session following the ceremony, the attending supervisors (sorted by the pinyin of their surnames) — Professor Yushun FAN, Tenured Professor at the Department of Automation of Tsinghua University and Deputy Director of the National CIMS Engineering Research Center; Professor Jizhen LI, Professor at the School of Economics and Management (SEM) of Tsinghua University, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of Tsinghua University Asset Management Co., Ltd., and Chinese Academic Director of the Executive PhD/DBA in Innovation program; Professor Jinliang LI, Professor at SEM of Tsinghua University and Secretary of the Party Committee of Tsinghua University PBC School of Finance; Professor Yao LU, Professor at the Department of Finance of SEM, Tsinghua University, Director of the China Financial Research Center, and Chinese Academic Director of the Executive PhD/DBA in Innovation program; Professor Marco MACCHI, Full Professor at the Department of Management, Economics and Industrial Engineering of Politecnico di Milano and Italian Academic Director of the Executive PhD/DBA in Innovation program; Professor Qingzhong PAN, Executive Vice Dean and Professor of Schwarzman Scholars at Tsinghua University, and Vice President of the China Public Relations Association; and Professor Yingqing XU, Director of the Future Laboratory of Tsinghua University — engaged in in-depth and lively exchanges with the new students on topics such as research interests, academic planning, and potential future cooperation. The on-site interaction was frequent and ideas clashed constantly, providing valuable initial guidance for the new students’ upcoming doctoral research.
Orientation: Clarifying Academic Pathways and Consolidating Research Foundations
On November 14th, Mr. Yingjun ZHANG (Chinese Program Director), Ms. Shenghua LIU (Executive Director), and Ms. Chengyao FENG (Senior Supervisor) jointly delivered a systematic and detailed orientation for the new students. They provided in-depth explanations of the pathways and methods to enter the academic field of doctoral research, and based on previous experience, conducted a forward-looking analysis of potential challenges in the research process and corresponding solutions.
They also gave the students a detailed introduction to the program’s development history, academic resources, and support platforms, helping the new students understand the program’s positioning and value from a macro perspective. Additionally, they provided clear and detailed explanations of key matters such as the training plan, curriculum modules, learning process, and academic norms, offering clear action guidelines for the students’ upcoming systematic research and study.
Subsequently, Professor Giuliano NOCI, Vice Rector of Politecnico di Milano, delivered an address to the new students. Centering on “talent cultivation,” he quoted the ancient Chinese maxim “It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred years to nurture people,” profoundly elaborating that fostering high-quality talents with both moral integrity and professional competence is a long-term strategy crucial for sustainable development. Professor NOCI emphasized that in today’s rapidly changing era, talent is the most valuable resource, and cultivating leaders with professional skills, noble virtues, and innovative perspectives is a key initiative to build a more innovative society. He extended sincere gratitude to the professors and operational teams from both China and Italy, and expressed his eager anticipation to welcome all students in Milan in 2026.
Following his address, he delivered a special lecture titled The Impact of Technology on Geopolitical Competitiveness to the students. In the lecture, Professor NOCI demonstrated profound insights and forward-looking analysis in this field, guiding the students to reflect on the complex connection between technological innovation and national competitiveness from a broader global perspective. This inspiring session effectively expanded the new students’ international horizons.
Finally, Professor Marco MACCHI delivered the first professional course titled Design Science Research to the new students. He systematically introduced the core elements of this research methodology, laying a solid methodological foundation for the students’ upcoming academic exploration journey.
With the successful conclusion of the series of orientation activities, the Cohort 2025 students of the Executive PhD/DBA in Innovation Program have officially entered the academic arena, embarking on a new journey of exploring innovation and creating value through interdisciplinary integration.
