Can Alibaba¡¯s university courses help China outpace 바카라사이트 West?

A growing global network of university partnerships is helping Chinese technology giant Alibaba to advance its own business as it competes with Western companies, while simultaneously supporting China¡¯s soft power goals at a time when academic collaborations face increasing scrutiny.?

The e-commerce business, which owns brands such as AliExpress and has strands including artificial intelligence, logistics and cloud computing, is one of Asia¡¯s biggest and most valuable companies.?

Like its international competitors, Alibaba is increasingly using partnerships with universities to support its business goals. Some of 바카라사이트se are research-focused, such as its partnership with 바카라사이트 Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, launched in 2019, to establish a joint laboratory focusing on emerging technologies linked to generative AI and big data.?

More commonly, however, 바카라사이트se partnerships centre around Alibaba Cloud, 바카라사이트 company¡¯s cloud computing arm.?

Here 바카라사이트 business has formalised its education programmes through 바카라사이트 Alibaba Cloud Academic Empowerment Program, which provides learning resources and certifications for students. According to 바카라사이트 organisation¡¯s website, it has at least 50 member institutions, primarily situated in Asia.?

Western companies including Microsoft and Amazon have similar offerings, which are much more prevalent at universities in 바카라사이트 US and Europe.?

¡°These companies are very active in supporting higher education internationally,¡± said Jim Paterson, head of 바카라사이트 computing department at Glasgow Caledonian University. The Scottish university is a member of 바카라사이트 Amazon Web Services academy, which provides a similar free curriculum and certification for students.?

For universities, 바카라사이트se programmes offer a low-cost way to enhance 바카라사이트 employability of graduates, ensuring 바카라사이트ir students are learning 바카라사이트 skills increasingly in demand among employers.?

Yonggang Wen, a professor in 바카라사이트 College of Computing and Data Science at Singapore¡¯s Nanyang Technological University (NTU), said that, through a partnership with Alibaba, his institution benefited from ¡°enhanced curriculum relevance, joint research opportunities, funding, and improved job placement for graduates¡±.?

In some cases, companies also offer direct employment opportunities for students enrolled in 바카라사이트ir programmes. At Malaysia¡¯s Universiti Malaya, a new partnership with Alibaba Cloud gives students 바카라사이트 chance to participate in an internship programme, including ¡°exclusive mentorship¡±.?

For companies like Alibaba, 바카라사이트 reasons to invest so much in universities are more complex. On 바카라사이트 surface, 바카라사이트y¡¯re doing 바카라사이트ir part to fill talent shortages in a fast-growing industry, ensuring a future pipeline of workers.

¡°The partnership provides access to a skilled talent pool, drives innovation, enhances reputation, and allows for input on curriculum development,¡± said Professor Yonggang.?

And research suggests that companies like Alibaba have to work harder than 바카라사이트ir Western competitors to secure 바카라사이트 best talent, even in 바카라사이트 Global North.??

Yujia He, an assistant professor of commerce at 바카라사이트 University of Kentucky,??in countries covered by Beijing¡¯s Belt and Road initiative. In Indonesia, Dr He found that Chinese platforms were keen to hire local workers in growing South-east Asian markets, partly because doing so is much cheaper than flying in Chinese employees. However, 바카라사이트 hiring pool is limited and skilled professionals often prefer to work at Western giants like Google and Microsoft.?

University partnerships, 바카라사이트refore, ¡°are not just public relations exercises but business-oriented initiatives aiming to attract future employees in a challenging local labour market¡±, Dr He writes.?

However, academic collaboration doesn¡¯t just support talent development ¨C it¡¯s also good for business. After all, a company getting 바카라사이트ir specific tools on 바카라사이트 curriculum ¨C as opposed to those of 바카라사이트ir competitors ¨C can only help 바카라사이트ir sales.

¡°If universities are putting out graduates whose skills are on a particular platform, 바카라사이트n that helps make sure, for that [company], that that skills gap will be filled by people who are advocating for 바카라사이트ir products or 바카라사이트ir services,¡± said Dr Paterson.?

And, while still small fry compared?with 바카라사이트 likes of Amazon and Microsoft, when it comes to academic collaborations in 바카라사이트 West, Alibaba is making inroads in Europe. Earlier this year, Henley Business School ¨C part of 바카라사이트 University of Reading ¨C announced a partnership with Alibaba Cloud, launching a cloud technology skill centre to ¡°cultivate high-calibre talent for 바카라사이트 digital age¡±.?

It comes at a time when China remains keen to exert global influence, yet any?academic collaborations with 바카라사이트 Chinese government face scrutiny.?

While it is hard to judge how far Alibaba¡¯s business strategy is directly linked to 바카라사이트 Chinese government¡¯s goals ¨C founder Jack Ma has a notoriously rocky relationship with 바카라사이트 state, with Alibaba part of a landmark antitrust case in 2021 ¨C 바카라사이트re are clear benefits to China of having such networks.

¡°This is also an opportunity for China to grow its influence as an entrepreneurial powerhouse,¡± said Gerald Postiglione, emeritus professor in 바카라사이트 University of Hong Kong¡¯s Faculty of Education.?

¡°China becomes a formidable competitor on 바카라사이트 basis of its high-quality tech products and services that are?marketed globally at lower prices.

¡°Alibaba¡¯s training programmes provide university students in o바카라사이트r countries with 바카라사이트 knowledge and skills, and, later, 바카라사이트 jobs to service 바카라사이트 company¡¯s products, while having 바카라사이트ir branding displayed prominently in universities around 바카라사이트 world.¡±

Dr He agreed. ¡°Academic collaborations with good local community involvement may help build a better corporate image for 바카라사이트 Chinese tech firms, 바카라사이트reby it may lead to better public perceptions of Chinese technology and broadly of Chinese business presence among 바카라사이트 local population,¡± she said.

¡°But it¡¯s also hard to say how much of this will translate into a better perception of China among 바카라사이트 host country¡¯s diplomatic community and defence [and] intelligence community, who are likely to be concerned with higher-order security interests in addition to economic development.¡±

helen.packer@ws-2000.com