16 Oct 2025
Students from across International Business School Suzhou (IBSS) had the chance to learn more about one of the School’s flagship international initiatives recently, as staff, partners and students came together for an engaging QTEM (Quantitative Techniques for Economics and Management) information session.
The session led by Professor Ewout van der Schaft, Associate Dean for Internationalisation at IBSS and Vice-Chair of the QTEM Board, alongside Dr Fan Liu, Director of QTEM at IBSS, and Ms Sihua Wang, IBSS QTEM Co-ordinator. They were joined by guest speakers Mr Alban Dauti, a current QTEM exchange student from Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management, and Ms Yulia Yue Jiang, Head of School Relations for GMAC, Greater China.
Professor van der Schaft introducing the QTEM network
A prestigious global network
Opening the session, Professor van der Schaft described QTEM as “a network not of coincidence, but of excellence”. This is with good reason, as QTEM brings together 20 top-ranked business schools worldwide, including Waseda University in Japan, Insper in São Paulo, and the University of Exeter in the UK, to name a few.
At its heart, QTEM offers students the chance to study abroad for an academic term at one of these partner institutions, undertake a quantitative-focused internship, and take part in the Global Business Analytics Challenge (GBAC) – a data-driven competition where students work in teams using real company data.
Previous GBAC partners have included Cartier, and this year’s challenge is sponsored by ENGIE, a leading European utilities company. Each year, the four top-performing teams are invited to present their findings at the QTEM graduation. This year’s event will be held in Nice, France and hosted by the EDHEC Business School. Attracting corporate sponsors and recruiters seeking analytical talent, the graduation highlights QTEM’s strong connection to industry. Commenting on this partnership, Professor van der Schaft added:
“QTEM graduates are considered rare talents. This is the reason that corporate sponsors like McKinsey and Amazon are keen to collaborate with QTEM in order to have access to these international talents”
Building analytical skills
Dr Fan Liu then delved into the academic side of the programme, explaining how QTEM helps students develop their quantitative and analytical capabilities while still giving them room to follow their interests. Modules span areas such as innovation and strategy, business intelligence and big data, and marketing and supply chain management.
“You can make your own choice as to which module you’ll follow,” she noted, encouraging students to think carefully about what excites them most.
Dr Liu explaining the academic side of the programme
Dr Liu also outlined how students can join the QTEM network. All IBSS master’s programmes are eligible, with the top 20% of applicants directly invited to interview. Alternatively, students can qualify by achieving a GMAT score of 605 or above. Those scoring between 555 and 605 may still be considered if they can demonstrate strong academic results, English ability, quantitative experience, or evidence of international and professional engagement.
A student’s perspective
For a first-hand account of life on the programme, Alban Dauti from Solvay Brussels shared his experience as a current QTEM exchange student at IBSS. “I was trying to find ways to stand out from other students,” he said. “QTEM resonated with my goals – it’s becoming increasingly relevant in a data-driven world.” He also praised the additional training available, such as free R Studio and Python workshops. “Having QTEM written on your CV is certainly going to help you,” he added. “It’s a network that’s growing very fast, and the international experience really helps you broaden your horizons and career goals.”
Alban Dauti在现场分享个人体验
The final part of the event featured Ms Yue Jiang from GMAC, who offered practical advice on preparing for the GMAT. Her hints and insights helped demystify the process and gave attendees a clearer sense of how to plan their applications successfully. The afternoon wrapped up with a lively Q&A session, where students – many from Project Management, Management, Investment Management, and Finance master’s – put their questions directly to the speakers.
Discover more
For IBSS, QTEM represents far more than an academic exchange – it’s a golden opportunity for master’s students to combine analytical rigour with a truly international experience. For further information contact: Sihua.Wang@xjtlu.edu.cn or visit the IBSS QTEM webpage.
16 Oct 2025