The 2023 Antai International Corporate Day was successfully held on October 22, 2023. The event, themed "New Technology, New Business," brought together over 200 distinguished guests, including business leaders from chambers of commerce in France, Singapore, Serbia, Thailand, the UK, Australia and Finland, industry experts, as well as academic scholars. The event also featured the Antai International Job Fair, where more than 30 multinational companies offered thousands of job opportunities to students and graduates from both within and outside of Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU).
The forum began with opening remarks from by Professor Gu Feng, Deputy Secretary of the University Party Committee, who stressed that SJTU has always been committed to standing at the forefront of science and technology and innovation education globally, fulfilling the responsibility of serving the national strategy and the development and progress of society. The university has always firmly and vigorously supported industry research, management innovation exploration in school-enterprise cooperation and international development. The university aims to build a platform for communication and exchange through this event and furthermore, to inspire each other, to strengthen collaboration, and to open more school-enterprise collaborative models.
Dean Chen Fangruo emphasized that as a top-tier business school, Antai College of Economics and Management (ACEM) has two main focuses: firstly research. ACEM is dedicated to implementing a strategy that integrates interdisciplinary and practical research. Secondly, talent development. We aim to cultivate a large number of international, practical, and innovative economic management professionals through close interaction and collaboration between academia and industry. In addition, he emphasized that ACEM would continue to uphold its social responsibilities and will thus strive to provide a comprehensive set of program options. ACEM has been continually innovating in the education sector, and recently launched an online course platform named "Doing Business in China (DBIC Online, https://online.acem.sjtu.edu.cn/DBIC)", designed specifically for international business learners.
Professor Costis Maglaras, Dean of Columbia Business School at Columbia University, delivered an engaging speech on the subject of artificial intelligence (AI). He emphasized the exponential growth of AI computing power and data, highlighting the transformative potential it holds for business and technology in the coming decades. Professor Maglaras encouraged the audience to remain curious and open-minded in navigating this rapidly evolving technological landscape.
Professor Santiago Íñiguez de Onzoño, Dean of IE University in Spain, discussed future trends in education, emphasizing the importance of personalized learning, diversified education, AI applications, and gamified learning. He believed that future education will require more interaction, and the role of the instructor will be to guide and facilitate, rather than the traditional one-way delivery.
Professor Ni Jun, Chief Manufacturing Officer of CATL and Dean of the Global Institute of Future Technologies at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, introduced the critical role CATL plays in achieving a carbon-neutral society. Despite being just a 12-year-old Chinese company, CATL is dedicated to battery production and aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2025, covering the entire value chain by 2035 to reduce carbon emissions. Professor Ni highlighted the continuous development of battery technology and its applications in various sectors, such as automotive and aviation.
The first roundtable discussion, led by Prof. Bodo B. Schlegelmilch, the Former Chair of Association of MBAs (AMBA) & Business Graduates Association, featured notable panelists including Mr. Christophe Lauras, President of French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China and Chief Operating Officer of Accor Greater China; Ms. Cherry Zhu, President of DOW Greater China; Ms. Jelena Grubor Stefanovic, Head of Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia in China; and Vice Dean Haitao Yin. The primary focus of their discussion revolved around the digital transformation of business education and the evolving expectations of the industry from business schools.
The following roundtable was moderated by Dr. Weisi Xie, the Director of Economist Intelligence Corporate Network Shanghai. The forum featured prominent guests, including Julie Zhang, who serves as the President of Arkema Greater China, Lucas Loh, Chairman of SingCham Shanghai and Group Co-President of Hopson Development Holdings Ltd., and William Dong, President of the Marketing Department at HUAWEI CLOUD Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. The discussion primarily revolved around the opportunities and challenges that various industries encounter when addressing the topic of artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies.
In his closing remarks, Vice Dean Haitao Yin emphasized the profound impact that new technology will have on the business landscape. He stressed the importance of embracing new technology and fostering close collaboration with the tech industry. Haitao Yin expressed his hope that through this deep exchanges, the event would help lead the way for the development of the times and the creation of a brighter future.
During the afternoon, the Antai International Job Fair hosted over 30 multinational companies, including renowned names like HSBC, PwC, Arkema, Endress+Hauser, Michelin, and more. These companies represent a wide range of industries, spanning sectors such as banking, finance, technology and chemical industry. They provided approximately one thousand job opportunities for students and graduates, from both within and outside the university.
The "Antai International Corporate Day" is a highly anticipated event organised by Antai College of Economics and Management, Shanghai Jiao Tong University. This event serves as a platform to bridge the gap between foreign enterprises operating in China and the academic circle and students from within and beyond Antai. By combining the morning forum and the job fair in the afternoon, this event aims to facilitate in-depth dialogue and foster mutually beneficial relationships between businesses and academia.