AI Meets MBA: Alibaba Cloud’s Kun Huang on Leading Digital Transformation
On 24 May 2025, the MBA Centre at Xiamen University Malaysia (XMUM) hosted a dynamic public talk, “The Future of Cloud: Leading Digital Transformation with Alibaba Cloud,” featuring Mr. Kun Huang, General Manager of Alibaba Cloud Malaysia. The event delivered cutting-edge industry insights straight to campus, attracting over 50 attendees — including MBA students, faculty, and staff.
Prof. Wang Peiming, Director of the MBA Centre, opened the session by highlighting the critical role of digital innovation in shaping the future of business. This set the tone for a compelling keynote by Mr. Huang, who drew on 15+ years of experience in the IT sector to explore how Alibaba Cloud is driving AI adoption and cloud computing across Southeast Asia. His talk was anchored by powerful real-world case studies featuring CIMB, Genting, and MDEC — clear illustrations of how digital transformation is reshaping industries.
Bridging Theory and Impact: AI-Powered Business Transformation
Mr. Huang spotlighted Alibaba Cloud’s ‘Cloud + AI’ strategy and its growing influence in Malaysia’s digital economy. He framed his insights around three key themes:
- AI-Driven Innovation
Alibaba Cloud’s Tongyi Qwen LLMs are setting global standards in reasoning, coding, and multilingual performance across 119 languages. Companies like Genting and CIMB are leveraging these tools for automated customer service and real-time analytics.
- Local Impact Stories
From Genting’s seamless traffic management using Elastic Compute Service to MDEC’s AI-powered solutions that meet strict data residency rules, local case studies brought the tech to life.
- Empowering Talent
Through its Digital Accelerator Program, Alibaba Cloud has trained over 20,000 Malaysians since 2017 and aims to certify 500 startups and 10,000 rural students by 2025 – building the future-ready workforce Malaysia needs.
Mentorship Milestone
The event also marked a proud moment for the XMUM MBA: Mr. Kun Huang officially joined the Business Mentorship Programme (BMP) as a mentor. His involvement reinforces the programme’s mission to connect students with seasoned industry leaders for long-term guidance, career growth, and real-world insights.
Looking Ahead
The MBA Centre expressed heartfelt thanks to Mr. Huang for his invaluable insights and to the engaged participants who helped make the event a success. Looking forward, the Centre remains committed to delivering high-impact experiences that connect MBA students with industry leaders and equip them with future-ready skills for the evolving business world.
About XMUM MBA Centre
The XMUM MBA Centre blends academic excellence with hands-on industry exposure, giving students rare opportunities to engage directly with policymakers, entrepreneurs, and business leaders. Events like this showcase our commitment to developing future-ready professionals equipped to lead in an ever-evolving global economy.
🚀 Applications Now Open for the September 2025 Intake!
Discover a transformative MBA experience that sharpens your leadership skills and delivers real-world impact. Join a vibrant, forward-thinking community and take the next bold step in your career journey.