An important building block for constructing your professional profile
Jakob Sander, Innovation Management, class 2014-2016.
I chose the Innovation Management program at the Sino-Danish Centre due to several exciting features, with the most fundamental being the opportunity to live and study in China. As the world becomes more intertwined, I strongly believe that international experiences are a crucial element in constructing a robust professional profile. This is especially true when these experiences involve living and studying in a fast-paced country with a large global footprint and equally exciting potential for the future.
Throughout the various courses, I feel that we, as students, have been equipped with tools in the form of ideas and frameworks that make a valuable contribution to bolster today’s business practices in the realm of innovation.
What makes the SDC program stand out for me is its ability to enable us to leverage these tools. It not only helps bridge the gap between theory and practice but does so in a more contextual sense. Specifically, the mix of Chinese and Danish students in the classroom leads to discussions revolving around our respective cultural contexts, which may at times seem contrasting. However, this has proven incredibly valuable, as it broadens our perspectives and helps us better understand the mechanisms that govern our different ways of thinking.
I strongly believe this to be a crucial aspect of innovation, something that multinational organizations often tend to neglect. If you disregard the contextual landscape, an idea or change that was successful in, for example, Denmark, cannot be expected to work flawlessly in China. Understanding and appreciating these contextual differences are significant components of the personal development that occurs over the two years of the SDC program. It is something I believe no other Master's degree can offer.
Challenging in every aspect
Lars Melgaard Algayer, Innovation Management, class 2016-2018.
The Innovation Management program from SDC is very challenging in every aspect. As the program is in China, experiences here are truly transformative and have influences on you as an individual and also on what you will be doing in the future.
I picked the program due to megalomania. I knew I needed to go outside the borders of Denmark, and either go to the States or to China. In the beginning, the idea was to take a semester abroad. When the opportunity arose to combine my master's studies and the experience of going to China, I couldn’t resist.
I would love to work in China or in an international business that allows me to experience foreign cultures. Your ideals and perception of the world will be challenged; I would much rather learn this while studying. The Innovation Management contributes to an understanding of process and product development and how to manage getting these results.
I got a business education from High school and B.Sc. in Business Economics, from Aalborg University.
I am writing this in autumn of 2017, during my internship in Shanghai at a Danish startup company in the food & beverage industry. As part of my internship, I’m working full time and have to write my internship project at the same time.
During my internship, working hours are from 9.30 AM to 6.00 PM (including approximately an hour lunch break). I like to work out, so sometimes I do that before getting to work. The gym opens at 8.00 AM. If I work out after work, I am home around 9-9.30 PM.
The first two semesters are split into modules (approximately 4 weeks duration each) with a fair amount of workload. Each module closes with an exam (usually during the last week of each month).
If you are up for adventures and challenges, definitely do it! Everything is subsidized by the government, and there are lots of foundations where you can apply for grants. It is a good idea to plan some travels in the region. It is really easy to get around in China. And when you are out here, explore other Asian countries too - the distance from China to many interesting locations is less than a couple of hours away.
Knowledge about the way to understand the world
Fengmei LI, Innovation Management, class 2014-2016.
The SDC Programme gave me not only knowledge about innovation but also the way to learn and understand the world. After two years of study, I became more proactive and confident than before. I also had the opportunity to get closer to companies and the real world, which is beneficial for job hunting, especially for multinational companies.
Studying with Danish students and teachers was a wonderful experience. Learning in an English teaching environment with a wealth of social and cultural knowledge was crucial for me. It broadened my perspective and also changed my sometimes fixed mindset. The SDC program also provided Chinese students with an excellent trip to Denmark, which was a great opportunity for me to learn more about the country, its universities, companies, people, and of course, the terrific cultural and natural landscape.
Much more than an educational journey
Anders Spile, Innovation Management, class of 2014-2016.
When I chose to apply for the Innovation Management program at the Sino-Danish Center, I thought that combining innovation and China was a way to secure my professional future. I still believe so, but the two years I spent in China have proven to be much more than just an educational journey.
Upon returning to Denmark after spending so much time in China, you start to realize how much you differ from all the students who stayed back home. To me, creating value in a firm is not about reading long books and sitting in lecture halls only to explain and use certain theories. Value, to me, is your ability to negotiate deals across cultures, to argue with customs in foreign countries where nothing works, and to exploit opportunities based on your understanding of other markets.
At SDC, I had classes like at any other university, but when you live in a country that is like night and day compared to your normal life, learning happens 24 hours a day. The skills I acquired through the SDC program are rare, and you can never obtain them by reading books or sitting in lecture halls. As a business development director responsible for trading in and out of Asia, I have so many advantages I would never have had without the SDC program. My bosses don’t care how much I can tell them about negotiating tactics in Asia; they care about the results. Through our education at SDC, we become the gateway into China. In a global market becoming more turbulent, fast-paced, and international, understanding one of the largest countries is a significant advantage, to put it mildly.
I don’t believe any other master's degree can offer the skillset you acquire from the programs at SDC, and I believe they are worth a lot more than understanding another theory.
You feel like a part of something bigger
Sebastian Sørensen, Innovation Management, class 2017-2019.
It feels great to be a part of this program, especially as you feel like a part of something bigger in SDC. Not only have I decided to take my master's degree in China, but also around 50-60 other international students took the same opportunity as me. Furthermore, it feels special to be in a class environment with both foreign and Chinese classmates, which brings you closer to an understanding of internationalization and Chinese culture.
I picked this program because my career ambition is to become an entrepreneur who can operate in a global context and work with international companies. And I am convinced that the master’s program will enable me with the necessary qualifications, skills, and knowledge to fulfill my ambition. Furthermore, the study operates in a global setting, which I think is crucial when striving for an international career.
I have a given interest in entrepreneurship and start-up companies, which this master will provide me with essential skills and knowledge to aim for.
The programme workload differs from time to time, but especially in project periods, it can be stressful. Standard workload per week = 5-10 hours. Project period per week = 10-15 hours.
Classes from 9-12 o'clock – 3-5 days a week. Food at canteen: 8 o'clock - 12 o'clock - 18 o'clock every day. Chinese classes: Two times a week, three hours each time (mandatory).
In your free time at the campus, you will have a lot of different opportunities such as using the sports facilities around campus that offer various kinds of sports. Football, Running, Basketball, Swimming, Volleyball, Badminton, Ping-pong, or working out at the gym.
Even more important is the fact that on your weekends and holidays, you will have time to go out and explore China and its exciting regions. The transportation to Beijing is only 1.30 hours, and from there, you can take a speed train to Shanghai in 4 hours. More importantly, you will have the time and option to go traveling to other countries in Asia.
Each semester included in the program will consist of four modules, with one module finishing every month and the following exam. Therefore, the program offers you an in-depth insight into each module before moving to the next. At the end of each semester, you would have to write a semester project with both your international and Chinese classmates.
The best things about the program are the practical angle of the stuff you learn in class. Much of the theories introduced in class will be connected to practice and real-life business cases. For instance, this would include both Danish and Chinese companies, but also a given chance to write about these companies when you write your semester projects. After the two semesters, you would have an excellent opportunity to get an internship in China. There are not many disadvantages about joining this program, although that you have to leave your family and friends. But on the contrary, you would have enough time to travel back and visit them to tell everything about your new experiences in China.
Bring your explorer hat because this will be an adventure!