With 23 years at Alibaba, I witnessed the transformation from a local e-commerce company to a global technology enterprise. As part of the Human Resources Group (HRG), I have always championed organisational change. However, as Alibaba globalised, HR encountered new challenges, particularly in cross-cultural organisational development and international talent strategies.

The three major advantages of the CityUHK Global EMBA resonate deeply with my needs:

• Global DNA: The programme features international modules that offer immersive cross-cultural management practice—an experience I currently lack in Alibaba's overseas business.
• Systematic Business Thinking: As an HRG at Alibaba, understanding business logic is essential. Modules like 'Strategic Finance' and 'Digital Innovation' will help bridge my transition from an organisational perspective to a holistic business perspective.
• East-West Academic Integration: Hong Kong serves as a crossroads of Eastern and Western cultures, facilitating a unique dialogue between 'Chinese practice + global theory' through its faculty resources and alumni network. This integration is crucial for shaping future global leaders.

In my 23 years at Alibaba and 15 years in HRG, I have been part of building a business from scratch and navigating strategic transformation. Our mission at Alibaba HRG is to make every person who joins Alibaba a better version of themselves, contributing to Alibaba's sustainability. The HRG role extends beyond mere business understanding; it encompasses talent development, organisational efficiency, and cultural integrity. We engage in the strategic generation of business units and the implementation of strategies, collaborating with business partners on top-level organisational design. This includes optimising production relationships, enhancing organisational effectiveness, improving talent structures aligned with business development, and fostering a culture that delivers customer value. Ultimately, our goal is to make organisational capabilities the intrinsic driving force behind business development.

At this stage, I recognise that the HRG field lacks a universal, standardised methodological system. While Western Human Resources Business Partner (HRBP) tools may encounter adaptation issues, local practices—such as Alibaba's political commissar system—are often fragmented. Therefore, I aspire to establish a systematic and localised methodology for the HRG field.

Looking ahead, I anticipate that the CityUHK Global EMBA will empower me to shape the future of my industry and truly lead the future. With years of practical HRG experience, I aim to elevate HR methodologies through this programme, overcoming my own limitations in perspective during classroom and group discussions. Hong Kong, as an experimental ground for the intersection of Eastern and Western systems, offers a diverse cohort. This diversity provides invaluable resources for advancing organisational governance methodologies and global perspectives in HR.

I resonate deeply with CityUHK’s values of "professional empowerment and global responsibility." I am eager to complete my transformation from a business partner to a leader in global organisational frameworks through the CityUHK Global EMBA programme.