The World Economic Forum (The Forum) is an independent international organization committed to improving the state of the world by engaging business, political, academic, and other leaders from various industries to set global, regional, and industry agendas.
In 2022 fall, through the U-Corp Lab, Duke Kunshan University cooperated with the World Economics Forum to carry out two research projects on Quantum Computation and Chief Digital Officers on campus, providing future development directions for relevant industries/businesses.
U-Corp @ The Forum (Quantum Computation)
Full name of the U-Corp project: The Trajectory of Quantum Computation in China
A World of Possibilities: The Future is at Hand
In May 1981, American theoretical physicist Richard Feynman proposed the idea of using quantum computers to simulate the evolution of quantum systems, which is difficult for classical computers to accomplish. Since Feynman’s speech, research on quantum computing has been vigorously pursued. From basic theory to experimental breakthroughs, quantum computing is gradually becoming a reality. The U-Corp @ The Forum (QC) project aimed to study the current development of quantum computing in China by investigating governments, individuals, and related stakeholders, with a focus on quantum industrial and social applications. By collecting and analyzing scholarly literature, conference papers, online news, and articles from official public platforms, the project aimed to provide forward-looking suggestions and generate an insightful report.
The team consists of four members: Jinchen Zhao (leader), Xiaoran Su (Edessa Sahin), Hanyang Zhou, and Yihuan Wang. Their mentors are Grigory Shutko and Ziqiao Wang from the World Economic Forum. Grigory Shutko is also the Quantum Computing Global Future Council Manager.
Recalling why they participated in this project, the team members had different reasons. Hanyang Zhou, with a deep interest in the topic of “quantum”, learned from popular science books about the combination of quantum mechanics and quantum computing, which led her to participate in this project. Moreover, she felt that most of her previous learning and understanding had been limited to textbook knowledge, lacking relevant practical explorations. The U-Corp @ The Forum (QC) project is a great chance for her to step out of the original cognitive scope, think from a higher level, and gain a deeper understanding of the world. Yihuan Wang was attracted by the strength of the organizer. When she applied for this project, she hoped that in the seven weeks, she could develop various skills and build a solid foundation for her future academic development and signature work. As a future economist, she also hoped to predict the future development patterns of the emerging industry of quantum computing. As for the team leader, Jinchen Zhao, he had already been exposed to quantum information and quantum optics research projects and professors but had been uncertain about whether he should pursue a career in scientific research or join a company. Through this project, he aimed to observe the industry scale and future development directions of quantum computing, accumulate relevant experience, and plan his future career path better.
At the beginning of the project, since the team lacked experience in industry research, they often felt they were putting together information from various sources, making it challenging to form their own thought. After an extensive review of relevant literature, the team learned to think critically, absorb the essence of information, and gradually develop their own logical system. The language barrier was also a huge challenge for the team. As quantum computing is a concept that has just emerged in recent years, there are many technical terms related to the field, and the team needed to explore this area continuously to accurately translate and communicate with international mentors and team members. Regarding information collection, the team had to overcome the issue of insufficient information. Since quantum computing is a relatively sensitive topic in China, much of the information is not publicly available, and the team needed to rely on existing materials to analyze and summarize the current situation of the quantum computing industry while ensuring the information’s accuracy.
Stay Focused on Your Original Aspiration and Keep Motivating Yourself!
Fortunately, their efforts were not in vain, and the U-Corp @ The Forum (QC) team achieved remarkable success while completing their project. What impressed the members the most was the original intentions of the mentor, Grigory. Grigory hopes to show the public that although the knowledge of quantum information technology may seem distant from people’s daily lives, it is actually closely related to our future life. Through the project report, people can understand the importance of quantum technology and its impact on the future. The era of quantum information will eventually come.
Jinchen Zhao (Leader): “Before this project, my learning method was simply digging into abstract concepts. However, through collaboration with the World Economic Forum, we analyzed the development of the entire quantum computing industry from a macro perspective of stakeholders. While the borders of human knowledge are broadened by researchers, an emerging industry also needs “leaders” like the World Economic Forum to guide the direction of development and promote multilateral cooperation. As the leader, I needed to take on responsibilities similar to the product manager in the internet industry, constantly monitoring the progress of the team. This fully exercised my leadership and organization skills, as well as industry experience”.
Hanyang Zhou (Member): “What we were studying was the development of quantum technology in China, which is a very grand topic, but it was through U-Corp’s project that we could get close to the horizon beyond our daily life, and be inspired to explore, perceive, understand, and practice from a macroscopic perspective”.
During the process, the team received great assistance from mentors from the World Economic Forum and the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Initiative of DKU. The first kick-off meeting opened the door to a new world for the four students: the mentor inspired them to view macroscopic phenomena from a higher level. During the weekly progress reports, the mentor continuously asked questions, helping them develop rigorous thinking habits and enabling them to explore new ideas and approaches. What made it unforgettable for the team members was that when faced with a wide variety of industrial information collected by the team, Grigory was always able to draw insightful and interesting conclusions, teaching the members how to analyze and summarize.
Different from other U-Corp teams, apart from completing the project report last November, the team also needed to form an essay, which might be published at the World Economic Forum.
As past U-Corp project applicants, the team recommends that future applicants carefully fill out their resumes and cover letter when applying, expressing their passion and enthusiasm for the project. They can also connect their past experiences to explain the commonalities between their previous projects and intended projects. If they do not have scientific research experience, don’t be afraid of being rejected; they can supplement their application with relevant experiences from lower grades or even high school to cover the shortcomings of the application.
U-Corp @ The Forum (Chief Digital Officer)
Full name of the U-Corp project: Driving the Data: The Emerging Role of Chief Digital Officer
The Most Futuristic Career in the Digital Era?
In daily life, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Financial Officer (CFO), and Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) are all familiar, including the Chief Information Officer (CIO), Chief Technology Officer (CTO), and Chief Operating Officer (COO). However, have you heard of the Chief Digital Officer (CDO) before? Have you met one of them?
Over the past decade, the Chief Digital Officer (CDO) has emerged as a crucial player in organizations, tasked with managing and optimizing data to create new business value. Despite this, many organizations in China still face challenges in managing data systematically and strategically due to a lack of understanding of this role. Through this project, the U-Corp @ The Forum (CDO) team has gained a comprehensive understanding of the definition, responsibilities, and evaluation of the CDO role. They have also explored the relationships and differences between this role and others, studied the changes in CDO responsibilities across various industries such as government and finance, and examined the different requirements for CDO roles in job postings both domestically and internationally. Additionally, they have reviewed the historical development of the CDO role through literature, speculated on future trends, and summarized the impact of this role on solving China’s data management issues.
The team members are Yifei Yang (Leader), Yingtong Liu, and Soukaina El Adraoui, and the mentors are Davide Del Ben and Ziqiao Wang from the World Economic Forum. Davide’s mentor is an expert in data and digital transformation.
At the beginning of the project, the team had no clue about where to start their research. Yifei suggested that simply reviewing relevant literature would only summarize previous studies and would not form a logical system for the team’s understanding of CDO. Therefore, in addition to completing the assigned tasks, the team also researched and summarized job descriptions for CDOs from recruitment websites such as Boss Zhipin and LinkedIn, and compared the similarities and differences in job responsibilities for CDOs in domestic and foreign contexts.
During the project presentation last November, the team’s achievements were highly praised by the audience. Their success was inseparable from the help of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Initiative and mentors from the World Economic Forum. The mentors from the InE showed the report templates of previous outstanding teams, helping them prepare the final report. Mentor Davide has extensive work experience at the World Economic Forum, and besides providing guidance, the team also learned about his and his colleagues’ understanding and views of CDO.
All members of the team enjoyed the process of working with the World Economic Forum. By collaborating with large companies/platforms, they gained experience in different industries. Member Yingtong Liu hopes to learn and practice more policy-related work in the future and will continue to apply for the U-Corp project.
For future U-Corp project applicants, the members suggested that students should be fearless in communicating, express their passion for the project as much as possible, fully demonstrate their personal abilities, and express more to the interviewers.
Conclusion
Whether it is the Quantum Computing industry or the position of Chief Digital Officer, they will shine brightly alongside other emerging technologies in “the starry sky” of the future. Leveraging the U-Corp projects, students from Duke Kunshan University cooperated with experts from the World Economic Forum to explore various possibilities for the future. While remaining grounded in practicality, the students wandered around “the sea of stars” and reached for their own bright shining star in the future.