On March 28th, the SAIF MBA program of the Shanghai Advanced Institute of Finance (SAIF) at Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) held a forum to launch its latest curriculum upgrade, transforming the original MBA into the new Digital Intelligence Global MBA. Designed for the AI era, the revamped program features a more dynamic curriculum and a deeper industry engagement.
The upgrade centers on three keywords: Dynamics, Practice, and Disruption – shifting the training model from knowledge input to complex decision-making, and from classroom learning to real-world validation.
Hosted by Jiaming Shi of the SAIF MBA team, leading academics, industry and finance professionals, and SAIF alumni gathered at the forum to explore how to anchor value-based judgment and build action-driven, integrative leadership in a transforming era.
From Knowledge to Decision-Making
At the forum, Haiying Ni (Executive Director of the SAIF MBA Program) unveiled and elaborated on the new training framework.
She explained that the core mission is not to outperform AI, but to cultivate “judgment that cannot be computed.” The program thus moves beyond the “how” to the “why” and “what” – helping students set standards amid uncertainty and identify truly valuable problems and answers.
The new Digital Intelligence Global MBA is built around three core competencies: insight, analysis, and execution – or “getting clarity, getting the numbers right, and getting things done.” It drives the evolution of the training system from knowledge input to complex decision-making training, from single-domain expertise to cross-disciplinary integration, and from classroom learning to real-world validation.
To strengthen project-based learning, two major practical tracks run throughout the program:
- Pre-matriculation: A three-month “Start-up Launchpad Project (D-LLC001)” simulating entrepreneurship to identify knowledge gaps before systematic learning.
- Post-matriculation: A seven-month “Technology Commercialization Project (D-LLC101)” guiding students through real tech-to-market pathways.
This upgrade is also a systematic cross-disciplinary effort. SAIF will partner with the School of Computer Science and the School of Artificial Intelligence at SJTU to build a project pool aligned with national strategies, placing students at the tech-industry forefront to understand how technology, business, and finance interact in real-world settings.
The upgrade refines the specialized track curricula as well. The Digital Intelligence Global MBA offers four specialized tracks: Global Leadership, Sustainable & Green Finance, Global Industries & Digital Finance, and Global Asset Allocation & Wealth Management. Together, they create a systematic learning path from industry insights to global perspective. By integrating coursework with practical projects, students can build cross-disciplinary skills in real-world contexts, sharpening their judgment and decision-making in complex environments.
Panel Discussion
The panel was moderated by Yage Zhang of the SAIF MBA team. Experts from AI, digital finance, industry, and entrepreneurship discussed how companies and managers can rebuild capabilities, sharpen judgment, and deepen finance-tech-industry integration across topics including entrepreneurial practice, resource allocation, industrial transformation, financial institution digitalization, the evolving relationship between AI and finance, and the industrial application of trustworthy AI.
