In order to deepen industry-education integration and explore a new mode of cultivating digital-intelligent talents, the School of Economics and Management, Tongji University (Tongji SEM) joined hands with DingTalk, a leading enterprise in digital intelligence, to hold the “AI Era and Intelligent Future” Innovation Forum and Tongji SEM – DingTalk Cooperation Signing Ceremony on the afternoon of March 23, marking a new chapter of cooperation between the two sides.

Leaders and guests present at the event to witness the important moment included Professor Xie En, Associate Dean of Tongji SEM (the person-in-charge), Ms. Dong Bianlin, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Tongji SEM, Professor Cheng Mingwang, Associate Dean of Tongji SEM, Professor Wu Sizong, former Secretary of the Party Committee of Tongji SEM, Professor Zheng Xin from the Department of Marketing of Tongji SEM, Ms. Xing Yue, Vice President of Alibaba Group, Vice Chair of Alibaba Women’s Federation and Vice President of DingTalk, Mr. He Yong, Ecosystem Director of Alibaba Cloud Government-Enterprise Business Unit, Mr. Zhang Jiayao, Director for Strategic Cooperation of DingTalk, Mr. Lin Weixing, Director for Strategic Cooperation of DingTalk, Ms. Li Jie, General Manager of Xinfengwei Colleges and Universities Business Unit, Mr. Wang Dong, Executive Deputy Director of the Information Office of Shanghai Normal University Tianhua College, and Mr. Wang Xiaobo, Deputy Director for Artificial Intelligence Practical Training of Shanghai Normal University Tianhua College.

The event was hosted by Cheng Guoping, Assistant Dean of Tongji SEM, Director of the Alumni and Corporate Relations Office, Director of the Professional Degree Programs Center and Director of the MBA/EMBA Center.

Professor Xie En mentioned in his speech that disruptive changes in the AI era have brought an enormous impact on the direction and future development of business school education; Tongji SEM has been committed to cooperating with excellent enterprises to continuously deepen industry-university-research integration and collaboratively advance the upgrading of the talent training system; Tongji SEM’s collaboration with DingTalk is a significant step toward Tongji SEM’s integrated development and will effectively promote the transformation and upgrading of its talent training mode.

Ms. Xing Yue, Vice President of Alibaba Group, Vice Chair of Alibaba Women’s Federation, Vice President of DingTalk, an undergraduate in International Trade in the Class of 1998 and a master graduate in Business Administration in the Class of 2002 of Tongji SEM, recalled her days at Tongji University with deep feelings, stated that she was pleased to be able to promote the cooperation between DingTalk and Tongji SEM to inject vitality into digital-intelligent talent cultivation for the alma mater, and expressed the hope that the cooperation could further promote the spirit of Tongji University’s motto of “helping people be of one heart and one mind” and promote Tongji University and Tongji SEM to foster new strengths.

This partnership between Tongji SEM and DingTalk will accelerate their cultivation of digital-intelligent talents. To strengthen the partnership even more, a kick-off ceremony for “Tongji University AI Assistant Creation Competition” Kick-off Ceremony was held in conjunction with the event. Furthermore, Ms. Dong Bianlin and Mr. Zhang Jiayao signed the memorandum of cooperation on behalf of the two sides in the presence of leaders from Tongji SEM and DingTalk.

Tongji SEM is steadily advancing digital-intelligent talent cultivation, with the cooperation with DingTalk being a firm, solid step. Going forward, the two sides will cultivate a group of able talents who can be put to good use in the digital-intelligent industry and contribute more to the development of China’s society.