During the May Day holiday of 2025, a student and 2 alumni from Cambridge Judge Business School embarked on a remarkable journey across the Gobi Desert, representing Cambridge Judge at the inaugural ‘Will of Nature – Gobi to West 2025’ Business School Friendship Race (自然的意志). Over the course of 4 days and 3 nights, they joined more than 800 business professionals and alumni from over 40 top business schools across Asia and beyond to complete a 121 kilometre trail through one of the world’s most demanding desert terrains.
The event was organised by the Business School Gobi Race Committee, with Cambridge Judge Business School as one of the founding institutions. The Business School’s participation was made possible through the efforts of EMBA 2021 alumnus Mr Jinsong (Michael) Yang and EMBA 2023 participant Dr Xunzhe (Amy) Zhang, who also serve as committee members. Their initiative, along with the strong support of the Cambridge Judge EMBA Programme team and Executive Director Dr Jennifer Martin, marked a significant step in fostering international engagement and cross-cultural leadership development within the Cambridge Judge community.
About the race
Unlike existing Gobi-related races, the Will of Nature platform was purposefully established as a non-profit, cross-institutional cultural and athletic exchange, integrating business school values with physical endurance, leadership and ESG awareness. It was conceived around the core principles of uplift, goodwill and fairness, represented by its guiding philosophy:
向上、向善、向阳
(Strive upward, act with kindness, compete with integrity)
The course featured a variety of classic Gobi landscapes, gravel plains, eroded formations and vast, barren expanses, with temperatures ranging from 5°C at sunrise to over 35°C by midday. Participants contended with frequent sandstorms, gale-force winds reaching Level 10 and basic living conditions such as shared tents, no showers, limited water and self-supplied sleeping bags. Despite the hardship, the Cambridge team showed extraordinary perseverance, trekking approximately 30km each day and completing the entire distance safely.
Special thanks go to the event partner Qinkung (轻功体育), who generously provided the Cambridge team with professional race apparel and accessories, an essential contribution under such extreme conditions.
The Cambridge team experience
The event was also designed with inclusive race formats (relay, speed, hiking and exploratory categories) and introduced a pioneering ‘mixed-school team’ structure, encouraging cross-school collaboration and connection, particularly within the EMBA and MBA community. The Cambridge Judge representatives, Hao Zheng, Qiujun (Fran) Chen and Xunzhe (Amy) Zhang, participated in the Hiking category and formed mixed teams with China Europe International Business School EMBA students and alumni. The 3 Cambridge members joined CEIBS Hiking Groups one, 6 and 7 respectively. Thanks to strong collaboration and mutual support across institutions, these joint teams achieved a remarkable sweep of the Gold, Silver and Bronze awards, in addition to a Team Completion Award, a proud milestone for Cambridge Judge in its inaugural participation.
I just returned from the Gobi last week, what an incredibly tough but truly rewarding experience! All of us who took part agreed it was one of the most meaningful things we’ve done, whilst also representing Cambridge Judge and the EMBA at an international event. We’re already looking forward to joining again next year and we really hope more Cambridge Judge alumni can learn about it and take part.
Global connections and future engagement
Beyond physical challenge, the race became a platform for deep cross-cultural exchange and meaningful connections. As participants traversed the desert, alone in silent focus or together in shared effort, they experienced the essence of leadership, which is resilience, empathy and collective strength. The idea behind the Friendship Race is not simply competition but collaborative exploration and mutual growth, enabling participants from different institutions, industries and backgrounds to team up and experience the Gobi not only as a physical challenge but as a metaphor for resilience and cooperation.
During the 4 day journey, Cambridge Judge participants forged friendships with fellow EMBA candidates from CEIBS, Tsinghua University and other leading Chinese business schools, as well as senior leaders across finance, technology, healthcare and energy sectors. These connections not only enhanced the Business School’s visibility in Asia’s executive education community but also laid a strong foundation for future collaborations across regions and institutions.
Looking ahead, Cambridge Judge Business School will continue to encourage students and alumni to engage in high-level global learning experiences that test character, build cross-border relationships and foster leadership under pressure. The Business School also looks forward to further involvement in the next ‘Will of Nature’ Gobi Race and to welcoming more members of the Cambridge Judge community to take part in this extraordinary journey of growth, challenge and shared purpose.
Many thanks go to Dr Amy Zhang, Michael Yang, Dr Jennifer Martin and the Cambridge Judge and EMBA teams for their involvement in participating, engaging with and reporting on this event.
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