On May 16, SJTU’s Antai College of Economics and Management was permeated with festive air. The 1^st graduation ceremony of “China Leaders for Manufacturing” (CLFM)–the 1^st interdisciplinary dual master’s degree program in China–was solemnly held. More than 30 graduates attended the ceremony and received MBA Graduation Certificate and Degree Certificate, as well as Degree Certificate for Master of Engineering and Study Certificate of MIT “Leaders of Global Operation” (LGO). The CLFM program pioneered professional master education in China. The excellent young people co-educated by SJTU, MIT, and top international manufacturing enterprises will certainly become leaders in China’s future manufacturing industries.

Professor Xu Fei, Deputy Secretary of the Party committee of SJTU, Zhou Lin, Dean of Antai College of Economics and Management, Rothfield from MIT, representatives of cooperative enterprises in the CLFM program, and Shane Tedjarati,CEO of Honeywell(China and India), addressed the ceremony. Present at the ceremony also were He Zhiyi, Vice Dean of Antai College, Liu Yingzheng, Vice Dean of School of Mechanical Engineering, Wang Xiaofan, Vice Dean of School of Electronic, Information and Electric Engineering. The graduation ceremony was hosted by Du Chaohui, Vice Dean of Graduate School.

On behalf of SJTU and as one of the lecturers involved in the program, Professor Xu Fei addressed the ceremony. He expressed warm congratulations to the first group of graduates and sincere thanks to those teachers from MIT, School of Electronic, Information and Electric Engineering, School of Mechanical Engineering, and Antai College of Economics and Management who participated in the program. He pointed out that it was a great honor for students to attend and graduate from the CLFM program, but it also meant responsibilities and missions. On behalf of MIT and SJTU, the graduate students of CLFM should live up to expectations and be brave to take up the responsibilities during their life and bear in mind the connotation of “leadership”. Professor Xu Fei taught the course of Probability and Mathematical Statistics in person during the two-year CLFM program.

The coming 20 years are a critical period for the development of China’s advanced manufacturing and also a significant opportunity for China to become a manufacturing operation center in the world. The transfer of international manufacturing is an unprecedented chance for China’s transition from Big Country of Manufacturing into Great Power of Manufacturing. The core competitiveness is talents who possess international outlook, advanced technology, excellent operation management skills and strong leadership.