MIT SCALE Nottingham Ningbo Masters in Supply Chain Management Launched

16 December 2020

On the morning of 16th December, the MIT SCALE Nottingham Ningbo Masters in Supply Chain Management was successfully launched in the New International Conference Centre at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC). The programme will develop supply chain management professionals with a global vision.


The programme is jointly provided by the University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC) and the Ningbo China Institute for Supply Chain Innovation (NISCI), part of the MIT Global SCALE Network. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Ningbo municipal government jointly established NISCI in 2016.

During the launch ceremony, Professor May Tan-Mullins, Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning at UNNC, delivered a welcome speech and introduced current developments at NottinghamUniversity Business School China (NUBS China). Mr Wang Weimin, Deputy Director of Ningbo Education Bureau explained that graduates of the Supply Chain Management Masters Programme will meet the needs of business and society.

Subsequently, Professor Martin Lockett, Dean of NUBS China and Professor Jay Guo, Dean of NISCI signed the formal agreement establishing the programme. Professor Sam Shen, Vice Provost for External Relations at UNNC, and Mr Du Weihao, Deputy Director of Administrative Committee of Ningbo Meishan Bonded Area unveiled a commemorative plaque.

The programme’s content was introduced by Professor Jing Dai and Dr Bo Li, Co-Directors of the Masters in Supply Chain Management. Students will study in Ningbo as well as having the opportunity to spend three weeks at MIT in the USA. Graduates will be awarded the degree of MSc International Business (SupplyChain Management) from the University of Nottingham (UK) as well as an MIT SCALE graduate certificate.

Professor Yossi Sheffi, Director of the MIT Centre for Transportation and Logistics, delivered a keynote speech via video link. He believes the prevalence of the COVID-19 pandemic has made a huge difference to the world as companies are forced to adjust their business strategy to seek a competitive advantage. In such circumstances, supply chain management has become the core capability for sustainable development of enterprises.

The programme has established strategic cooperation with supply chain-related enterprises. UNNC and NISCI signed a tripartite cooperation agreement with LYNK& Co. Ltd. Mr Ling Shiquan, Vice President of Geely Auto Group, considered this tripartite cooperation to be of profound significance. Combining their experience with quality scientific research and theory-rich resources of universities, enterprises will provide better solutions to vital problems encountered in current supply chains.

Focused on the theme of Future Supply Chain Management in China and Worldwide, ProfessorJing Dai moderated the panel discussion between Professor Jay Guo, Mr DuWeihao, and Mr Ling Shiquan. Professor Guo stressed that supply chain management is important for China’s economic construction and the improvement of enterprise efficiency. Mr Du Weihao, Deputy Director of AdministrativeCommittee of the Ningbo Meishan Bonded Area, mentioned that the integration of supply chain management into business has been an inevitable trend of development.

Mr Du outlined its commitment to build an international supply chain innovation centre, develop an international supply chain industrial system and integrate the functions of trade, logistics and finance. It also seeks to help Ningbo build a new, higher quality open economic system, which builds on a platform of businesses and universities. As a representative of the automotive industry, Mr Ling Shiquan, Vice President of Geely Auto Group, pointed out the areas that some enterprises need to improve and hoped that universities will cultivate talents to help companies realise better transformation and modernisation.

In his closing remarks, Professor Martin Lockett, Dean of NUBS China, expressed his gratitude to all those from MIT, NISCI and UNNC who had contributed to the Masters in Supply Chain Management. He also said that the cooperation between UNNC andNISCI will not only develop high-end supply chain management talent but also deepen cooperation in research such as "green and smart supply chain management".

By utilising its unique global footprint, NUBS China is committed to shaping the future of responsible business and management in an increasingly interconnected world. The MIT SCALE Nottingham Ningbo Masters in Supply Chain Management is designed to meet the increasing need for high-level supply chain management graduates. The programme is open for application now, and the first cohort of students will officially begin in September 2021.

For more details of the Programme, please visit the official website by clicking here or email to fobpg@nottingham.edu.cn