CB welcomes University of Ljubljana IMB students for executive learning

In the morning session, Professor Stephanie Gao, Director of Executive Education, delivered a lecture entitled "Cloud Computing, AI Infrastructure, and Regional Innovation Integration". Focusing on how cloud computing and AI are developing across the Greater Bay Area, she shared insights on the region's innovation landscape. Drawing on their management experience in Europe, participants asked active questions about digital transformation and cross-border business opportunities. In the afternoon, the group visited Alibaba Group's Hong Kong headquarters to meet the Group’s business leaders and have an insightful exchange of ideas. Hosted by the Alibaba team, the students learned how Alibaba has grown from an e-commerce start-up into a technology group spanning cloud computing, artificial intelligence, digital logistics and global business, and experienced first-hand Hong Kong's strategic role as a key hub for Alibaba's internationalisation — bringing together international talent, capital and customers, and serving as the headquarters for its cross-border e-commerce and "going-global" operations.

In the exchange session, Alibaba business leaders shared insights on corporate innovation, global expansion and technology empowerment in the digital economy, highlighting how Alibaba Cloud's accessible, flexible cloud services and AI tools help enterprises lower the barriers to digitalisation and speed up product iteration, and offering first-hand observations on the latest developments in China's AI industry and its representative products. Drawing on their own entrepreneurial and managerial experience in Europe, the IMB participants discussed the differences between the East and the West in AI development paths and ecosystems, the real-world rollout of Chinese AI products, and the commercial outlook for large models and various AI applications, raising frequent questions on technology roadmaps, market conditions and the scope for China-Europe cooperation in AI.

Visiting entrepreneurs and executives spoke highly of the programme, describing the day as rewarding and well organised. Professor Polona Domadenik Muren remarked: "This programme and company visit gave us a full picture of Hong Kong and China's cutting-edge AI technology firms and ecosystem. It has been a truly great learning journey."

The compact and rewarding combination of "classroom learning plus benchmark company visit" is a signature format of CB's Executive Education for overseas business leaders — pairing academic insights on the Chinese business environment with on-site observation of leading technology firms, so that senior executives from abroad can build a three-dimensional understanding of the China market in a short time.

Leveraging Hong Kong's strategic location and the College's teaching and research strengths, CB delivers customised executive education programmes that bring government bodies, enterprises and senior management talent from Belt and Road economies and Europe into CityUHK classrooms and benchmark technology companies, positioning the College as a platform and window through which overseas executives can understand technology and industry development in the Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong. This collaboration with the IMB Programme of the School of Economics and Business, University of Ljubljana, further expands CB's executive education network in Europe and lays the foundation for future talent exchanges and business cooperation between the two sides.