China’s internet industry has developed rapidly despite a late start relative to that of developed economies and even other emerging markets. Several of China’s high-tech companies such as Alibaba, Lenovo, Huawei, and Baidu have entered the list of Fortune Global 500 firms. Their approaches to product innovation and value proposition have led to new and successful business models that are worth exploring. In addition, while positioning itself at the first place in the world in terms of the number of internet users and the number of mobile users, China is still a great source of opportunities for entrepreneurs who are willing to do business here. This GNW module aims to help visiting students understand the development of China’s internet industry and Chinese firms’ innovations in this area. Several related industries such e-commerce, social media, internet financing and E-health will be covered, and students will learn about the impact of the Internet on peoples’ lives as well as on traditional industries in China.

Faculty involved: Majid Ghorbani, Zelin Zhang, Wenyu Du

Company connections: Tencent, Alibaba, Baidu, Lenovo, Xiaomi, E-health Company

Other elements: Welcome banquet; talks by executives from leading high-tech companies; visiting high-tech companies in e-commerce, gaming, internet financing and hardware manufacturing industries; Q&A with company managers; group presentations; pub night in Sanlitun International Village; networking with RBS MBA Students; and Yale alumni in Beijing (Subject to Change)