Jack Ma to be a Visiting Professor at Tokyo University

Jack Ma – the billionaire founder of Alibaba Group – is set to undertake some research and teach at a college in Japan.

Aside from some research projects, Ma will take up a role as a visiting professor to give lectures at Tokyo College, a new organization run by the University of Tokyo, the university said on Monday.

The five-month appointment for China’s best-known entrepreneur will run till the end of October, the university said, but the contract is renewable on an annual basis.

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Focus on sustainable agriculture, food production

At the college, Ma will do research on sustainable agriculture and food production, which he has expressed an interest in previously.

The retired business icon will also provide advice on important research themes and give lectures on management and business start-ups.

He will “share his rich experience and pioneering knowledge on entrepreneurship, corporate management and innovation, etc, with UTokyo students and faculty through seminars,” it said.

The announcement came after Ma returned to China in March, ending a stay overseas of more than a year that the industry viewed as reflecting the sober mood of the country’s private businesses after a tough two-year regulatory crackdown.

The Tokyo College was founded in 2019 to serve as an interface between the University of Tokyo and overseas researchers and research institutions.