Despite being in existence for only 25 years, the Shanghai-headquartered institute has become a top-tier business school that is highly recognized around the world. In the Financial Times' most recent global MBA and EMBA rankings, CEIBS was ranked fifth in both categories, the first Asian business school to have ever accomplished this.

Even as it eyes the international market, the school never loses sight of what it considers one of its biggest advantages: China.

"The China focus is very important to CEIBS' development," says Ding as he reflects on the institution's 25-year history.

Established in 1994 when China's economy was taking off, CEIBS was created to meet the soaring demand for business management talent.

According to Ding, the school's development path has always been clear.

It began by introducing the latest Western business models, theories, courses and research into China before developing Chinese business cases and building the country's own talent training and knowledge system.

Today, it helps Chinese companies go global.

When CEIBS was first established, it did not have its own full-time faculty and was more like an offshore program that relied heavily on visiting professors, most of whom were from leading European business schools, Ding says. Back then, in the words of former vice-premier Li Lanqing, CEIBS was "a place where you can study abroad without going abroad".

Ding adds that a strong curiosity for learning in China, something that can only be rivaled by India, also contributed to CEIBS' rapid growth.