Integrating East and West, Leading the Future with Wisdom | Annual Review of the 2025 Inaugural Cohort of the Global CEO Programme (Part 2)

Release time：2026-03-02    

Traveling Ten Thousand Miles | Exploring the Frontiers of Biopharmaceuticals, Artificial Intelligence and Global Investment

January 2026

The FISF-Said Global CEO Programme, co-launched by the Fudan International School of Finance (FISF) and the Saïd Business School of the University of Oxford in January 2025, is a two-year programme designed against the backdrop of the evolving global political and economic landscape and the shift in global economic development momentum, with a keen insight into the new learning needs of Chinese and international entrepreneurs. Bringing together world-class curricula and faculty, the programme offers two-way exchange and learning opportunities between Eastern and Western economies, integrating global finance, cutting-edge technology, and humanistic business ethics. It aims to empower entrepreneurs to discern the essence of business, understand financial logic, lead innovation and transformation, and apply management practices in real scenarios, nurturing leaders with a global vision, forward-thinking, innovative spirit and humanistic care.

Learning from books and traveling ten thousand miles. Looking back on the past year, in addition to classroom learning, the participants have conducted in-depth visits to many well-known domestic and foreign enterprises and important institutions, including Yunnan Baiyao (000538.SZ), AIM Vaccine (06660.HK), Nuotai Biotech (688076.SH), Yipinhong Pharmaceutical (300723.SZ), ZTE Corporation (000063.SZ), Mingyang Smart Energy (601615.SH), GAC AION (601238.SH), the MINI Factory, the University of Oxford, the British Museum, Buckingham Palace, the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), and the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI). Through on-site visits and in-depth dialogues, they have personally experienced the industrial development logic and innovative practices under different institutional environments.

March: Visit to AIM Vaccine (06660.HK)

Professor William James, former Vice Chancellor of the University of Oxford and a specially appointed mentor of the programme, participated in and guided the entire visit to AIM Vaccine in March. He conducted in-depth exchanges with the participants of the Global CEO Programme, Zhou Yan, Founder, Chairman of the Board and CEO of AIM Vaccine, and the company's management team on vaccine research and development, international cooperation and other topics.

Exchange Visit at the AIM Vaccine Manufacturing Facility

Zhou Yan, Founder of AIM Vaccine, said: "It is a great honor to be the first enterprise among the Global CEO Programme participants to receive a visit from a University of Oxford professor. The series of optimisation suggestions put forward by Professor William James are exactly the professional guidance we need at this stage."

April: Visit to Nuotai Biotech (688076.SH)

In April, at the invitation of Tong Ziquan, a participant of the Global CEO Programme and Chairman and President of Nuotai Biotech, the participants visited the "China Pharmaceutical Port" in Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province. Nurturing well-known pharmaceutical enterprises such as Hengrui Medicine (600276.SH), Nuotai Biotech (688076.SH) and Kanion Pharmaceutical (600557.SH), the "China Pharmaceutical Port" has built a complete industrial chain covering innovative R&D and intelligent manufacturing, and is becoming the core engine for the rise of Lianyungang's pharmaceutical industry.

Group Photo During the Visit to Notai Biotech

July: Visit to Bletchley Park

In July, the participants visited Bletchley Park, the cradle of artificial intelligence. Alan Turing, the "father of artificial intelligence", once worked here, and his theories and practices laid the foundation for modern computer science and artificial intelligence.

Statue of Alan Turing

Group Photo at Bletchley Park — Synonymous with Codebreaking and the Birth of Modern Computing

September: Visit to Yunnan Baiyao Group

In September, the participants visited the headquarters of Yunnan Baiyao Group, as well as its Pharmaceutical Museum, Research Institute, intelligent production lines and management systems. This visit subverted everyone's one-dimensional perception of traditional industries, and made everyone deeply realise that the boundary of

big health is actually boundless innovation.

Highlights from the Visit to Yunnan Baiyao

Herbal Medicine Exhibition Area at Yunnan Baiyao Headquarters

A Student's Photo at Yunnan Baiyao Factory

November: Visit to the UAE

In November, the participants visited the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), the largest sovereign wealth fund in the Middle East, and the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), the world's first university dedicated to artificial intelligence, gaining an understanding of the Middle East's investment in artificial intelligence and other cutting-edge technology fields and its favorable business environment.

Visiting and discussing matters at the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA).

Group photo at the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA)

January 2026: Visits in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area

In January 2026, the participants visited Yipinhong Pharmaceutical (300723.SZ), GAC AION (601238.SH), ZTE Corporation (000063.SZ) and Mingyang Smart Energy (601615.SH).

Walking on the Bio-island in Guangzhou, the participants visited the headquarters of Yipinhong Pharmaceutical (300723.SZ), a participant enterprise. Wu Meirong, the actual controller of the company, gave a detailed introduction to the company's innovative R&D and digital transformation path, and its full industrial chain layout in fields such as pediatric drugs and chronic disease drugs. The participants also learned about deutepotinorex "AR882", a new drug for gout that is about to be launched and a boon for millions of gout patients, which has shown excellent clinical performance in dissolving tophi.

Wu Meirong is introducing the company headquarters to her classmates

“AR882” The Secretary of the Board of Yipinhong Pharmaceutical is introducing the new gout drug — deutetranopril "AR882".

At GAC AION (601238.SH), the participants visited the world's only lighthouse factory for new energy vehicles, and learned about the full-stack self-developed technology route represented by the Magazine Battery and the Star Arch architecture at close range. They also experienced the future of transportation by sitting in the second-generation flying car for the low-altitude economy.

The lobby of GAC New Energy Factory

Group photo in front of GAC Group's second-generation flying car

The headquarters of ZTE Corporation (000063.SZ) showcased its independent innovation achievements and cutting-edge layout in 5G, computing power, industrial internet and other fields to the participants. From the R&D and implementation of 3nm process chips and high-efficiency heat dissipation solutions for AI liquid cooling servers, to C-end innovative products such as Doubao mobile phones and smart home appliances, the participants discussed topics such as industrial chain security, participation in international standards, and empowerment of digital transformation, and gained a deeper understanding of the balance between technological self-reliance and open cooperation.

A group photo of students in front of ZTE's main hall

At Mingyang Smart Energy (601615.SH), another participant enterprise, the participants gained an in-depth understanding of its innovative achievements in unique deep-sea floating wind power technology, electricity-hydrogen integration ecosystem and other aspects, and witnessed the progress of major projects such as the Southeast Henan Zero-Carbon Park and the "Offshore Three Gorges" in Eastern Guangdong on the front line.

Visit the Mingyang Group exhibition hall

Conclusion | 2026, Embarking on a New Journey

President Jin Li once mentioned during his lecture: "The effectiveness of industry-education integration in universities is directly related to the exertion of the elements of new productive forces and the process of scientific and technological innovation leading the construction of a modern industrial system." Relying on the resources of Fudan University and the University of Oxford, this programme has conducted full interactions with a wider range of enterprises and institutions. In an interview, the person in charge of the CEO Programme said: "We are like professional 'matchmakers' – we not only accurately match the expertise of mentors with the needs of enterprises, but also facilitate sustainable cooperative relationships. We are conducting a lot of research and investigation work, and the programme will further help participant enterprises achieve multi-dimensional breakthroughs in technological upgrading, management innovation and international cooperation by building a three-dimensional empowerment system of 'international mentors in-residence guidance + benchmark enterprise exchange learning + precise strategic resource docking' in the future."

The Global CEO Programme combines the world-class research and teaching expertise of the University of Oxford with the in-depth learning and development capabilities of Fudan University. Through this educational partnership, participants will gain the latest insights, tools and frameworks to help them navigate the rapidly changing business environment on a global scale.

Our common mission is to find solutions to some of the biggest challenges facing our economy, humanity and the planet, and this programme is a response to this mission. It will draw on insights from scholars in multiple disciplines such as science, technology and philosophy to help business leaders re-examine their missions and purposes and accelerate transformation and change.

This is a truly unique programme that offers you the opportunity for two-way exchange and learning between Eastern and Western economies.

Voices of Participants | Sharing of Learning Experiences by Some Participants

The carefully crafted content of the Global CEO course, the invaluable knowledge shared by renowned scholars, and the integration of cutting-edge theories and rich practical cases have promoted the collision of ideas among participants. I am very much looking forward to the wonderful follow-up curriculum arrangements! I believe that with the help of the course, we can all achieve better progress.

— Feng Yan (Shared at the Opening Module)

Professors and scholars shared their knowledge without reservation with solid professional foundation, and I have gained a lot. I am very much looking forward to the high-quality follow-up courses, and firmly believe that with the help of the course, we will all reach a higher level.

— Zhao Weixing (Shared at the Opening Module)

The advent of the AI era has driven social progress and also brought a series of changes. The reshaping of work content has put forward new requirements and opportunities for the development of all walks of life. The scenario of "expanding platforms, downsizing enterprises and empowering individuals" has emerged. AI has eliminated the old productive forces and will also help the development of new productive forces.

— Qi Yile (Shared at the 120th Anniversary Special Module)

In our previous learning, it was rare to conduct a comprehensive and effective horizontal comparison between Chinese history and world history, making it difficult to form a relatively systematic concept of China and the world in the entire history. Professor Jiang Peng's wonderful lecture made us deeply realise that human history is a process of globalisation, and the different cultures and products in each stage are the results of a constantly exchanging world at different scales.

— Jin Zihao (Shared at the 120th Anniversary Special Module)

Tax planning is a kind of "paradox". Enterprises must understand tax laws, comply with regulations, and abandon illusions; operate enterprises in a stable, healthy and sustainable manner to promote the healthy and balanced development of industries and common prosperity of society; the mindset of operating enterprises needs to change – the meaning of pursuing enterprise success is not only profit indicators, but also contributions to society.

— Zhang Ping (Shared at the 120th Anniversary Special Module)

The Saïd Business School of the University of Oxford is a world-class business school, and the courses I studied here have given me a new understanding of the relationship between corporate mission and profitability and reciprocal economics: 1. Mission is the "North Star" of an enterprise, not an ornament. The core value of an enterprise lies in solving social pain points. If profit maximisation is regarded as the only goal, it is like only bowing one's head to pull the cart and losing one's way – although short-term profits may be achieved, long-term development will be trapped in homogeneous competition. Driven by mission, we choose the right and forward-looking track – reciprocal economics. 2. Profitability is the "natural result" of meeting needs. As entrepreneurs universally recognise that "profit is the scale to verify the feasibility of the mission", it shows that enterprise profitability must be a byproduct of enterprise value creation. 3. A sense of mission unites entrepreneurs. Mission and profitability are actually two sides of the same coin. Mission defines why an enterprise exists, and profitability verifies whether the mission can be sustained.

— Xia Xiang (Shared at the UK Module)

1. The visit and study at Yunnan Baiyao Group were very rewarding. An enterprise with a soul has inherited the spirit of Taoist medicine and traditional Chinese medicine, and integrated the extraction technology of Western medicine, forming an ecological system of the unity of "Tao, method and skill". The scope of corporate culture is very clear, which is admirable.

2. Professor Hong's course is down-to-earth with profound insights. Through theoretical logic, practical cases, and big data comparison and analysis, he let us see the essence of problems from the truth.

3. Professor Wang Zhongmin's lecture on the three models of AI asset generation, recognition and market value realisation inspired me a lot. Understanding the speed of this era from the AI process, there are both pressures and opportunities in the transformation. The cases of Alibaba, such as GP's control of corporate management rights, one share one vote/weighted voting rights, and talent allocation, inspired me a lot.

— Chen Keru (Shared at the Yunnan Module)

The first lesson of the new year in the Greater Bay Area has brought me a wealth of knowledge reserves and skill guidance, strategic insights to cope with the turbulent era of 2026, and the warm hospitality of fellow participants in the Greater Bay Area. It has prepared firm confidence and strong motivation for us to embark on the new year's journey. Wish all participants a fruitful Year of the Horse!

— Yang Luwu (Shared at the Greater Bay Area Module)

The first month of 2026 was spent in the beautiful and vibrant Greater Bay Area for a rewarding five days. The warm reception and careful arrangement of fellow participants in the Greater Bay Area left us with a deep impression and wonderful memories.

— Dong Ming (Shared at the Greater Bay Area Module)