28 Aug 2025
At IBSS, internationalisation isn’t limited to the classroom. The 2025 Summer In-Company Consulting Projects brought together 181 students – including 80 international students – to collaborate virtually with 32 companies across China.
Launched in 2021 to support our international students during the Covid-19 pandemic, the programme has since grown into a flagship opportunity at IBSS. In just five years, it has expanded to 78 projects and welcomed more than 420 international participants.
Each project places students in small online consulting teams, supported by both an IBSS academic supervisor and an experienced company mentor. This format not only provides practical consulting experience and career-ready skills, but also delivers fresh perspectives and innovative solutions to our business partners.
Reflecting on the wider impact of the programme, Ewout van de Schaft, Associate Dean for Internationalisation at IBSS, noted:
“These consulting projects are invaluable as they immerse students in real-world business challenges, where cross-cultural collaboration and contemporary themes such as digital transformation and data-driven decision-making are at the forefront. Students not only develop professional skills but also the ability to work across borders and disciplines, equipping them to make a meaningful contribution in today’s global economy.”
This year’s Consulting Projects spanned sectors as varied as healthcare, AI and FinTech, sustainability, and talent management. To provide a snapshot of this breadth, four students shared their experiences – offering personal insights into both the skills they gained and the contributions they made to partner companies.
Tianyuan Chen – Suzhou New Century International Children’s Hospital
Working with Suzhou New Century International Children’s Hospital, a leading paediatric healthcare provider, gave third-year Economics student Tianyuan Chen the chance to combine leadership with research. Acting as team leader, he co-ordinated tasks, drafted the report outline, and facilitated discussions in the team’s WeChat group. He then brought together everyone’s contributions into slides and documents for the final presentation. Alongside managing the project, Tianyuan also led the research analysis, carrying out a SWOT assessment, examining the hospital’s brand image and communication strategy, and supporting the team’s data analysis.
Reflecting on the project, Tianyuan said: “I gained a deeper insight into the children’s healthcare industry and a better view of the newborn babies in China. I really enjoy doing some market research and giving some insights into the industry, because through this market research, I can have a better view of reality. Furthermore, Professor Zhang gave us lots of guidance which were quite meaningful. I still remember that even though it was 22:30, Professor Zhang would reply to our questions in the WeChat group, which I really appreciated.”
?Yuwen Bu – Lesaffre Management (Shanghai)
Collaborating with Lesaffre Management (Shanghai), the regional office of the French multinational yeast producer, gave final-year International Business student Yuwen Bu the opportunity to tackle a genuine strategic challenge: competing against China’s powerful state-owned brand, Angel Yeast. Leading the distribution strategy component, Yuwen evaluated channel structures, compared online and offline sales approaches, and helped design visualisations to communicate market insights.
Looking back on the experience, Yuwen explained: “The most valuable experience was receiving and implementing precise feedback from Lesaffre’s mentors—such as redesigning distribution visualisations to avoid misinterpretation and conducting analysis of product portfolios—which taught me how nuanced data presentation and detailed categorisation can transform complex market insights into clear, executive-ready strategies.”
Ziyiyang Zhou – ZEISS
Partnering with ZEISS, the German leader in precision optics, final-year Information Management student Ziyiyang Zhou took on the technical challenge of linking data to decision-making. He developed a Python-based optimisation model to transform forecasting data into actionable weekly production plans, while also helping to ensure the findings were communicated clearly to both technical and business audiences.
The most memorable part for him was the teamwork, as Ziyiyang recalled: “The most valuable experience was working in such a diverse and international team, where members came from different academic stages and disciplines—ranging from undergraduates to postgraduates, from business to supply chain specialists. Each of us brought unique perspectives and strengths, which made every discussion both inspiring and insightful. What impressed me most was how these different viewpoints could be integrated into one coherent solution. This experience taught me that diversity is not just a concept but a powerful driver of creativity and problem-solving.”
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Yanqi Wei – Intellipro
?At Intellipro, a global HR and recruitment solutions provider, first-year Information Management and Information Systems student Yanqi Wei contributed to a project focused on developing an internal talent information system and exploring how AI could enhance HR processes. Despite being one of the youngest members of the team, Yanqi stepped into a leadership role – making suggestions, assigning tasks, and encouraging new ideas within the group.
The project involved using AI tools to analyse the company’s challenges, identify related companies, and brainstorm potential solutions. They also applied data analysis technqiues, drawing on academic journals and online sources, before refining their findings with further support from AI.
The feedback from Intellipro’s mentors left a strong impression: “It has made me understand the direction of thinking more about things,” Yanqi explained, “and the level of detail that a company expects in addressing particular problems.” Reflecting on her personal development, Yanqi added: “Teamwork and communication skills are crucial at work, and I have learned a lot of skills.”
How to get involved
The Summer In-Company Consulting Projects are structured online internships, running over four weeks in July–August with around 90 hours of project work. Students work in groups of 4–6, guided by an IBSS supervisor and a company mentor, to deliver innovative, practical solutions to real business challenges.
With companies consistently praising the fresh perspectives and valuable reports provided by students, the programme continues to grow each year.
If you’d like to learn more or participate in the Consulting Projects for 2026, please contact: IBSS.International@gdsqbz.com
28 Aug 2025