Peking University Welcomes Sixth “Future Leaders” Cohort

Peking University’s Guanghua School of Management has welcomed the sixth generation of its International Undergraduate Program “Future Leaders,” a dual-degree initiative attracting students from Mexico and 34 other countries. The program aims to cultivate students with in-depth knowledge of China and a global perspective. Since its launch in 2019, it has partnered with 15 leading international business schools and enrolled 235 high-achieving students.

The program selects top-performing students from partner universities who spend two years at their home institution before joining Guanghua for an immersive two-year experience in China. Participants engage with a rigorous curriculum and collaborate with leading companies, studying both at the Beijing campus and Guanghua satellite campuses across the country. The model provides practical exposure to China’s economic dynamics and innovation ecosystem within a globally diverse cohort.

“The business education landscape is at a crossroads,” says Liu Qiao, Dean, Guanghua School of Management. “We must equip students not only with technical skills but also with imagination, values, and the courage to address complex social problems.” 

Admission to the program remains highly selective, targeting students in the top 20% of their universities through a two-stage evaluation process. Graduates have pursued careers in finance, consulting, technology, and social innovation with companies such as Goldman Sachs, McKinsey, Tencent, and the United Nations. Others have launched startups or pursued graduate studies at institutions including Stanford, Harvard, and Oxford.