Alibaba founder Jack Ma turns professor, will teach Tokyo University students
Jack Ma in Australia
Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma is joining Tokyo University as a visiting professor, the University said on Monday.
Ma begins his tenure today and will advice students and conduct research, especially on sustainable agriculture and food production. He will also give seminars about entrepreneurship, innovation, management and business startups.
His appointment term will last till October but the contract is renewable on an annual basis, the university said.
The Chinese tycoon has been away from the limelight since 2020 after he criticised Chinese regulatory system that was later blamed for triggering a wide-rangingcrackdown by Beijing.
Ma's appointment at the University of Tokyo couldbe seen as a way for him to keep a low profile while still pursuing his passion for education. It is unclear how much time he will spend teaching at the university, but his appointment is expected to bring attention to the university's entrepreneurship program and attract more students to the school.
Alibaba founder, who stepped down from his role as the executive chairman of Alibaba in 2019, has long been interested in education and has had previous stints as a teacher and professor.
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In 2015, he was appointed as a professor of entrepreneurship and leadership at Hupan University, a business school that he co-founded in China. Hupan University, which is named after the apartment building where Ma started Alibaba, aims to train the next generation of entrepreneurs in China.
Ma's interest in education started early in his career when he worked as an English teacher for several years after graduating from Hangzhou Normal University. Later, he founded the Alibaba Group in 1999, which went on to become one of the world's largest e-commerce platforms. Despite his success in the world of business, Ma never lost his passion for education.
In 2014, Ma founded the Jack Ma Foundation, which focuses on education, entrepreneurship, philanthropy, women’s leadership, medical support and environmental protection. Through the foundation, Ma has supported various educational initiatives, including providing scholarships to students from underprivileged backgrounds and launching programs to train teachers in rural areas of China.