Peking University, May 15, 2023: Recently, the Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group (AIDC) announced the winners of the 2023 Alibaba Global E-commerce Challenge in Singapore. Chuanyi Capital, a team of four students from Peking University Guanghua School of Management's "Future Leaders" Undergraduate Program, emerged as the champions. 

The team members, namely Kelly Xu, Bryan Cheah, Saksham Bansal, and Michelle Feldman, surpassed strong competition from second and third place teams representing ESADE Business School and the National University of Singapore.

Team "Chuanyi Capital" receiving the award from the judges

Another team from Guanghua, called Visionaries, was also recognized in the competition. Invited to the finals after winning the East Asian regional competition, the Visionaries team won the "Customer and Market Centric" Category Prize. The team consisted of students Markus Hanssler, Dominik Fink, Melissa Rosenberg, and Diane Roux.

The Alibaba Global E-commerce Challenge attracted nearly 3,500 students from 141 premier universities across 59 countries and regions. Participants were required to devise market entry strategies for Alibaba company AliExpress, responding to multiple competition prompts.

Lilian Jiang, AIDC's Chief People Officer, described the finalists' proposals as "insightful and innovative." Chuanyi Capital developed a gamified market entry solution for South Africa called "AliWorld," which incorporated local pop culture and leveraged the country's favorable regulatory environment and high mobile penetration. The team acknowledged the invaluable guidance of Qiaowei SHEN, a professor of marketing at PKU, in refining their recommendations after the regional competition, considering it a key factor in their ultimate success.

Team "Visionaries" winning the Category Prize

Visionaries focused on opportunities for AliExpress's fashion category in Mexico. They created a strategy that involved Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs), billboard campaigns, and a partnership with a local retail chain. Their proposal addressed various supply chain considerations, including transportation of goods from China, placement of sorting facilities, and distribution of goods within the Mexican market.

Chuanyi Capital received prizes valued at up to RMB 50,000 (approximately 7,184 USD), and AIDC will offer internships to select competitors. All nine finalist teams, including Chuanyi Capital and Visionaries, were granted travel to Singapore, tours of Alibaba-affiliated facilities, opportunities to engage with senior company executives, and a deeper understanding of the thriving e-commerce business. Visionaries' team members expressed their appreciation, stating, "It was enriching to learn about the inner workings of an affordable e-commerce company and realize the level of detail involved in their decision-making."

Two teams at the Lazada office in Singapore

Both Chuanyi Capital and Visionaries comprised students from Guanghua's "Future Leaders" International Undergraduate Program, which brings top undergraduate students from around the world to Beijing to live and study together as a single cohort for two years at Peking University. Chuanyi Capital participants described the Alibaba Global E-commerce Challenge as "a life-changing experience that formed long-lasting friendships and challenged our personal potential." Likewise, Guanghua founded the "Future Leaders" program as a platform for a diverse group of individuals to learn about China, exchange ideas, challenge each other, and engender lasting friendships. 

Edited by: Dennis Meng
Source: Guanghua School of Management