2024 Nankai University Business School Overseas Immersion Programme: A Renewed Academic Journey with NTU-CCTF

In May 2024, Nanyang Technological University's Centre for Computational Technologies for Finance (NTU-CCTF), in collaboration with Nankai University Business School, successfully conducted the Nankai Business School Overseas Immersion Programme in Singapore.

This programme brought together over 60 students and faculty from Nankai University Business School, Tianjin, China, who immersed themselves in a comprehensive 4-day educational journey. The carefully designed programme of academic lectures, site visits and cultural experiences gave participants deep insights into Singapore's unique strategies and development models in a globalised and digital era. This event not only broadened the international perspective of the participants from Nankai University, but also strengthened the educational and research cooperation between the two institutions, Nanyang Technological University and Nankai University.

On 2 May 2024, the specialised MBA students and faculty of Nankai University Business School arrived in Singapore to begin their overseas immersion programme. In the evening, a welcome ceremony and buffet dinner were held at The Star Loft. Professor Yonggang Wen, Associate Provost (Graduate Education), Dean of the Graduate College and Director of the Centre for Computational Technologies for Finance at Nanyang Technological University, and Professor Li Kai, Associate Dean of Nankai University's Business School, gave opening remarks to officially launch the Nankai Business School Overseas Immersion Programme.

On the morning of 3 May, Professor Chen Xiaodong, President's Chair of Materials Science and Engineering at the School of Materials Science & Engineering and Deputy Director of Digital Molecular Analytics and Science, held a special course on technological innovation entitled "Artificial Perception Technology" at the Nanyang Technological University campus. Through his lecture and a guided tour of the Max Planck-NTU Lab for Artificial Sensing, Nankai faculty and students gained first-hand experience with cutting-edge technologies.

On the afternoon of 3 May, the Nankai faculty and students visited the Singapore Maritime Gallery and the Port Operation Control Centre (POCC), where they learned about Singapore's advanced technologies and practices in maritime and logistics management. This visit enhanced their understanding of Singapore's role as a global logistics hub. The group also visited the iconic Merlion Park and sampled some of Singapore's signature cuisines.

The morning session on 4 May featured a premium course entitled "Token-GPT: The Unsung Heroes", led by Associate Professor Zhang Hanwang from NTU's College of Computing & Data Science. Held at NTU's Gaia NBS classroom, Professor Zhang explored the cutting-edge applications of artificial intelligence technology.

In the afternoon of 4 May, the faculty and students visited the Singapore City Gallery and the Sustainable Singapore Gallery to gain a comprehensive understanding of Singapore's urban planning past, present and future, as well as the nation's efforts towards sustainable development. After the visits, the group headed to the Gardens by the Bay. This landmark exemplifies Singapore's commitment to green development and also allows participants to enjoy the natural beauty within the city.

On the morning of 5 May, Mr Lu Weisheng, a former star teacher at New Oriental and co-founder of Gaotu Group, delivered a premium course entitled "Leadership and Team Execution in the AI Era". This session focused on practical entrepreneurship and management skills.

In the afternoon, activities moved to NTU's One-North Auditorium for a business forum hosted by NTU-CCTF, co-hosted by Alibaba Cloud Singapore and supported by Nankai University Alumni Association in Singapore. During the forum, Mr Yang Tao, Managing Director and Senior Consultant at BRAVOX, discussed "The Development, Current State and Future of Singapore's Smart Cities", exploring how Singapore is using the latest technologies to enhance urban intelligence. Professor Zhu Feida of Singapore Management University then explored cutting-edge technologies and opportunities in the Web3.0 era, focusing on how these technologies can foster innovative business models. Mr Cao Zheng, a digital media influencer, presented "The Other Side of the Internet", discussing challenges and opportunities in the digital age. Mr Chen Bohui, President of the Asia Digital Economy Academy, provided an in-depth analysis of "AI Governance in Singapore". Mr Huang Donghao, VP of R&D at Mastercard, shared insights on the future of business in the Web3.0 era. The session concluded with a speech by Mr Liu Zhengyi, Director for New Business at Alibaba Cloud Intelligence Group, entitled "Embarking on an Innovative Journey with Alibaba Cloud", which highlighted the importance of collaboration and innovation in the current economy. The panel discussion, titled "Reshaping the Future: The Marvelous Alliance of Web3 and AI," saw participants share their views on how to integrate business and technology in the new tech wave. The interactive Q&A session provided students and faculty with deep insights into industry trends.

On the evening of 5 May, the NTU-CCTF and the Business School of Nankai University held a grand graduation ceremony and farewell banquet at Raffles Marina. This event marked the successful conclusion of the four-day overseas classroom experience, and  provided a platform for the students to showcase their learning outcomes and share their insights. After closing remarks by Professor Wen Yonggang from NTU and Professor Li Kai from Nankai University, student representatives gave speeches sharing their experiences and lessons learned in Singapore. Prof Li Yi, Associate  Professor of the College of Computing and Data Science, Director of the Master of Science in Blockchain Programme and Associate Director of NTU-CCTF, presented the students with their certificates. 

In the future, NTU-CCTF aims to continue to provide valuable academic and cultural exchange opportunities through such international classes, and to strengthen collaboration with universities around the world. By integrating classroom learning, company visits and forum discussions into a cross-cultural academic dialogue, the initiative not only enriches the students' learning experience, but also contributes to building a more open and connected global educational network, broadening students' international perspectives and innovative thinking.