SVTN: Silicon Valley Tsinghua Network

Rethinking the Chinese Business In the Internet Age

On January, 27th, 2007, Dr. Cai Tian from the Guanghua Management School of Peking University gave a mind freshening seminar, rethink the Chinese business in the internet age, to SVTN members. As many Chinese returnees, Dr. Cai went through the rigorous academic and industrial training in US. He obtained one Ph.D. and two MS degrees from University of Southern California. In following years, he was a R&D staff and a WS-I representative at Sun's Java Web Technology and Standard Group. Since joining Peking University, Dr. Cai has quickly established his reputation as one of the most active scholars in IT management research and practices. In recent years, he has leaded the research collaboration projects for the Ministry of Commerce, Hyperion, CCTV, and CNSF. He is serving as senior advisors for Charoen PokphGroup (Zhengda) and Gome. He is also the founder and deputy director of GH-BPM Research Institute of Peking University.

Based on his own research, Dr. Cai presented a new framework to understand the uniqueness of doing business in China. A few highlights are the predictions that Chinese customers would become sensitive entrepreneurs and valuable customers from paupers and Chinese companies need innovate business models and technologies to fit into the Chinese markets rather than blindly emulate western countries. Dr. Cai also brought a unique perspective and philosophy to answer the burning question for many Chinese oversees in US, return or no-return. He pointed the importance of realizing the gap of expectation and capability as well as landing on a solid platform in China for returnees to grow from. Many audiences echoed Dr. Cai's comments on Chinese market and personal development with questions about how to face their own challenges of continuous career development and contributing to the Chinese growth.

This seminar freshed many audiences' minds. Without much advertisement, more than fifty people showed up at Dr. Wu's office in Cupertino. Once again, the audience presented a very diversified backgrounds from engineers, business men/women to capitalists. This seminar lasted for almost 3 hours and filled by dynamic interactions between Dr. Cai and the audience. More than half the audience stayed long after the seminar to ask Dr. Cai questions.

Following the kick off seminar of SVTN eClub, this seminar is another success and brings audience the first hand experience of career positioning and development from a successful returnee. We thank Dr.Wu and his wife for their generous support of providing the place and all volunteers for their diligent work. For more information of past and upcoming seminars presented by SVTN, please go to the website of SVTN eClub. The slides of Dr. Cai's presentation was also uploaded under the past seminar linkage.

Silicon Valley Tsinghua Network (SVTN) is a non-profit organization. If you graduated from Tsinghua University or are interested in Tsinghua, live or work in the US, you are eligible to be our members. The goal of the SVTN is to provide a way for Tsinghua alumni and their friends to renew the old tie in past and to build new relationship for future. It is an organization open to public. It is mission is to help the new comers to settle in the new environment, and help all the members in finding new jobs, learning the cutting edge technologies, bridging the gap among different groups, and help resolving any issues among its members. There is no membership fee, but you are welcome to donate any amount of money to support us..