Asia Start: AI + Digital China Expedition is a 4.5-day immersive executive program designed to give business leaders and entrepreneurs a first-hand look at the AI revolution and digital transformation in China.
This edition focuses on China’s digital ecosystem, taking participants on a strategic learning journey through Beijing, Shanghai, and Hangzhou— three of the country’s most advanced smart cities and tech innovation hubs.
China is home to some of the leading AI companies in the world and is driving the artificial intelligence industry in Asia. With its digital economy projected to reach $1.2 trillion by 2025, Asia offers unparalleled opportunities for those looking to scale their business, tap into AI for business leaders, and understand China’s AI strategy and digital innovation ecosystem.
Throughout the program, you’ll gain exclusive, behind-the-scenes access to some of China’s most influential technology-driven companies, including ByteDance, Xiaomi, JD.com, Deep Seek, and BrainCo. You will explore how these organizations apply AI, data, and advanced digital technologies within their core businesses, from platforms and robotics to mobility and manufacturing, and examine the distinct business models and innovation strategies shaping the future of Asia’s technology and industrial landscape.
Parent company of TikTok, a global super tech unicorn focusing on AI, short videos, social platforms and digital content services.
Xiaomi EV’s Beijing hyperfactory is a fully automated “dark factory” where SU7 electric cars are built in 76 seconds.
Chinese Amazon with the largest smart logistic network in China. JD powers China’s fastest retail logistics and trusted online shopping for hundreds of millions.
Chinese ChatGPT, AI unicorn that built the world’s most popular open-source large language models, including the 1M-context V4, boasting 127M monthly active users and leading global open-source benchmarks for reasoning, coding, and efficiency.
AI unicorn with non-invasive brain-computer interface (BCI) technology.
Explore one of the world’s seven wonders, learn about its history and architectural art, and feel the grandeur of ancient Chinese civilization (lunch included).
Enjoy authentic Chinese cuisine and traditional performances (Peking Opera, acrobatics, etc.) in an iconic venue, experiencing the charm of traditional art and food culture.
Visit Shanghai Old City, Yu Garden, the Bund and East Nanjing Road, including iconic skyscrapers, to experience the unique combination of ancient heritage and modern vitality in Shanghai.
Understand how China is pioneering new models of innovation through artificial intelligence, digital business innovation, and corporate digital transformation strategies that are reshaping global industries. Learn from a team of experienced faculty members with deep industry expertise.
Learn from behind-the-scenes dialogues with China’s top tech giants, including ByteDance, Xiaomi, JD.com, Deep Seek, and BrainCo, learning first-hand how they are shaping the future of the creator and shared economy, global e-commerce, supply chain, healthcare and electric vehicles, etc.
Identify and establish key partnerships with leading companies, customers, suppliers, manufacturers and digital ecosystems across China and Asia to expand your global footprint.
Build valuable relationships with China’s disruptive innovators, gaining insights into their strategies for scaling businesses in a rapidly changing digital economy. Join China’s influential and increasingly globally connected business community.
This program is ideal for C-suite executives, decision-makers, innovation leaders, and founders looking to explore China’s business ecosystem, especially those interested in investing in China, expanding their business in Asia, or learning strategies to expand businesses through digital transformation.
Join a diverse group of like-minded peers in engaging cross-cultural dialogues, fostering collaborative relationships, and uniting in a shared commitment to driving digital growth. Typical profiles include: Founder/Co-founder, CEO, Investors, Digital Transformation Leader, CTO, CDO, VP, Head of Strategy, BD Director, Director of Sales, General Manager, Advisor & Chief AI Officer
All fees quoted are exclusive of any valued-added or other indirect taxes that may occur. The program fee includes tuition, teaching materials, lunch, one networking dinner, one cultural show (subject to the weather), Taichi & bus transfers.
The cost of intercity transfers (train from Shanghai to Hangzhou & flight from Hangzhou to Shenzhen), hotel accommodations, international travels to and from China are not covered by the program fee.
*Please contact the program manager for scholarship opportunities, alumni and group rates.
Founding Dean and Dean's Distinguished Chair Professor of China Business and Globalization, CKGSB
Dean’s Distinguished Chair Professor of Information Systems, Executive Academic Director for Business Scholars Program and Director of the Research Department on AI and Intelligent Industry, CKGSB
Professor of Accounting, Executive Academic Director for Executive Education Programs and Executive Academic Director for MBA Program, CKGSB
Professor of Operations Management, CKGSB
It’s one thing to read about China, another to watch it on television — but it’s a completely different thing to experience it. The Asia Start program gives you not just the feeling, but the real-life experience. You also have the opportunity to meet CEOs from around the world, discuss different topics, and reflect on the lectures. I call it a true learning journey, especially through the meetings with companies. We discussed everything from different angles, economies, views, and experiences. It’s a powerful process where you learn a lot from top CEOs and entrepreneurs, and it truly inspires you — what to do in your business, how to work, and how to develop your company.
The connections with the companies here were, truly enlightening — the company visits were the best part of the experience. Coming from Brazil, we are geographically far away, and it had always seemed to me that it would be hard to enter the market and build good partnerships here. But now that I’m here, I realize we are more similar than I thought. I feel much more comfortable about building bridges between Asia, China, and Brazil.
I am leaving Asia Start inspired, full of ideas for our business, and with lots of thoughts in my mind. I definitely recommend everyone to be here. When you are a senior leader, it’s about what you get from the program — how it will help you be future-ready, how it will help you transform. And Asia Start is the one. I’m leaving the program satisfied, happy, inspired — but most of all, with one important message in my head: I have to come here every year to stay future-ready.
It’s a great opportunity to delve into Chinese culture and the Chinese way of doing business. I believe Asia Start is the best platform to truly understand both the culture and the entire ecosystem. Comparing it with all the other universities where I have attended executive education programs, I can say this is excellent — one of the best.
I believe in continuous learning, and I believe that in order to do good deals and make progress, you always need to better understand the other side. That’s why I decided to join the program and take the maximum value from it. It’s very fast-paced — I don’t see many better ways to extract information and gain a real feeling for the Asian markets in just one week than Asia Start. The professors are extremely professional and experienced. They are not only academic; you can feel they come from the business world and show you how things work in practice, which is incredibly valuable. There is also a very good cohort — you make friends for life. I think this is very important, because business and life are about people before anything else.
It was a very eye-opening experience because of what’s going on in China — how modern it is, how innovative, and how you can really feel the entrepreneurial spirit everywhere. You can see that the professors have enormous experience gained abroad, and they are bringing this experience back to China. It’s a wonderful combination of knowledge, experience, and the way they deliver the messages — in a very simple, easy-to-understand way. At the same time, the ideas are fresh and new. What I enjoyed the most was the combination: having lectures that make you think, and then seeing it all in practice during the company visits. We also had the opportunity to meet representatives of respected companies at dinners in a more informal setting. All of this made the program very valuable to me.
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