Create value through systematic processes
Introduction
Innovation is a crucial driver of competitiveness and sustainability for companies, institutions and organisations of all sizes. The objective of this programme is to give you a profound understanding of what innovation is and equip you with tools to help you understand and manage complex innovation processes.
While we tend to describe all kinds of renewal and change processes as innovation, innovation is actually something more complex: the focused and purposeful process of creating value from ideas. And while many organisations understand that innovation is crucial to their survival and competitiveness, managing innovation is a complex task.
Being good at innovation is not just about being creative. Creativity may result in good ideas, but if these ideas are not geared towards creating value through their application and commercialisation, they may never become innovations. The innovation management programme not only teaches you how to identify creative ideas, it teaches you how to develop and bring them to life in various contexts, creating value and enhancing the competitive advantage of innovating organisations.
On completion of the programme you receive a double degree and the following titles: Master of Science in Economics and Business Administration (Innovation Management) from Aalborg University, and Master of Management Science with a major in Management Science and Engineering, Innovation Management from the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Programme Structure
While the educational principles behind the programme are inspired by a number of sources in China and Denmark, the primary approach is problem-based learning or student-centred teaching.
This means that the learning activities of the programme focus on practical applicability and are based on the real-world problems which you identify, analyse and solve under the supervision of professors from China and/or Denmark.
The first semester introduces the fundamentals of innovation theory and innovative firm management. You attend three course modules and conclude the semester with a written project performed in cross-cultural groups. You take the following courses:
• Contemporary Theory of Innovation and Innovation Management (7,5 ECTS)
• Organisation and Management of Innovation (7,5 ECTS)
• Research Methods (7,5 ECTS)
• Semester project I (7,5 ECTS)
The second semester focuses on specific contexts of innovation initiatives, i.e. product development, value chain, innovation system, global and business model.
The semester comprises four course modules and a written semester project as well as during the first semester performed in cross-cultural groups.
You take the following courses:
• Product Design and Development (7,5 ECTS)
• Innovation Systems and Government-Business Relations (5 ECTS)
• Digital Innovation (5 ECTS)
• Business Models Innovation - Semester Project II (12,5 ECTS)
In the third semester you have three options to choose from:
• An internship at a company, institution or organisation, which is concluded by a written project. The focus is on Chinese, Danish or other international companies in China or companies in other Asian countries. This is the perfect setting for translating the theoretical knowledge you have gained into practice. (30 ECTS)
• A written research-based project on an innovation or innovation management topic of theoretical or practical relevance. The project must to be based on conceptual or secondary empirical material. (30 ECTS)
• One-semester of course activities at another university which complement the innovation management curriculum. (30 ECTS)
The fourth semester is dedicated to your Master’s thesis. The thesis can be written in collaboration with an organisation, company or institution.
You receive guidance from both a Danish and a Chinese supervisor. (30 ECTS)
Courses may be subject to change.
Associate Professor, Christian Byrge introduces creativity
Innovation Management News
Students present solutions to real-world innovation challenges in Shanghai
Students on the Innovation Management programme at SDC went on a four-day expedition to Shanghai.Read more
Nanna wanted to stand out from the crowd – it paid off
A month before defending her Innovation Management thesis, Nanna Fischer Olesen walked in the door at Novo Nordisk for her first day in the job she had wanted for years.Read more
Five Days to Tackle the World’s Most Pressing Problems
Five different skillsets and five working days to find a solution that meets the UN Sustainable Development Goals under the theme ‘Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure’.Read more
Career
As a graduate of the programme, you have expertise in the following areas:
• How innovation systems (corporate, technological, national) work and the various factors affecting them in both local and global contexts
• How to identify, develop and implement activities that can enhance the innovation capabilities of companies and organisations
• How to formulate innovation strategies/policies at various levels (project, company, value chain, industry, macro) and how to successfully implement them
You are highly qualified for job functions which require detailed understanding of market mechanisms, technological development, strategic insight, organisational skills, entrepreneurial drive and creativity.
Possible career positions include innovation manager, project manager, product developer, operations manager or business developer, to mention just a few examples. The programme also offers you opportunities to participate in academic research in the field of innovation, which opens up opportunities both in academia and the public sector.
You have the skills to find your place and successfully integrate into existing companies and institutions, but you are also prepared to start up your own company.
Studying innovation management in China has advantages over taking a traditional degree in your home country. After being trained in a truly global classroom in China, you enter the job market with a double degree from Denmark and China, as well as relevant professional and cross-cultural skills and knowledge that will give you a competitive edge on the labour market.
Chinese companies are increasingly creating growth and improving their international competitiveness on the basis of innovation and operations excellence. International companies also see China as a preferred location for Research and Development (R&D) activities.
Over the past 15 years, China has attracted R&D and innovation-related investment on a large scale, and the country is clearly emerging as the future global hub of innovation. The growing domestic market also has a great potential for Chinese and international companies, and innovation is a vital key to success on an extremely competitive and dynamic market.
This rapidly developing business setting offers students an ideal context for studying innovation management based on real-world challenges with an eye on practical applicability.
Contact Alumni
If you have further questions, please take a look at the FAQ on the Going to study in China page.
For questions regarding specific courses, admission or
practical matters please contact SDC at:
For first-hand questions regarding living and studying in China, you may contact recent Innovation Management graduate Nanna Fischer Olesen at nfo@gl-toftegaard.dk.
Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Nanna had to leave China after the first semester in 2020.
Or you can reach out to Anh Tam Truong at anhtamtruong@hotmail.com, who graduated in 2022 and took the full programme online due to the COVID-19 situation in China.
Our alumni do not represent SDC, but will answer your questions on the basis of their own personal experiences.
Heads of the Educational Programme
Danish Head of Innovation Management
Associate Professor Dmitrij Slepniov
Department of Business and Management
Aalborg University
Chinese Head of Innovation Management
Associate Professor Xiumei Zhu
School of Economics and Management
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
Collaboration Opportunities
Testimonials
Radwaan Aways Ahmed
BA-degree:
B.Sc. in Economics and Business Administration, Aalborg University
Occupation:
HR Generalist at Accenture
Kristian Brandt Samuelsen
BA-degree:
B.Sc. in Economics and Business Administration, Aalborg University
Occupation:
Consultant, mainly at Novo Nordisk