A Journey of Learning Across Borders
From 4 to 9 August 2025, the Xiamen University Malaysia (XMUM) Master of Business Administration (MBA) programme embarked on its annual China Study Trip, this time to Shenzhen and Hong Kong, two powerhouse cities at the heart of the Greater Bay Area (GBA). The GBA is a dynamic economic region integrating Hong Kong, Macau, and nine cities in Guangdong Province, envisioned as a world-class innovation and economic hub.
The MBA delegation comprises MBA Centre staff, MBA students, alumni, and lecturers, and it has a total of 35 people. The purpose of this study trip was not simply to visit corporate headquarters or academic institutions, but to immerse our MBA participants in a cross-border ecosystem of business, innovation, culture, and education. Participants engaged directly with industry leaders, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and academics through a carefully curated itinerary, gaining first-hand insights into the forces shaping the GBA.
Qianhai Exhibition Hall （前海展示厅） — A Showcase of Strategic Integration
The MBA delegation’s journey began at the Qianhai Exhibition Hall on 5 August 2025, a landmark destination for understanding the vision and progress of the Qianhai Shenzhen–Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone. The hall’s sleek design mirrors Qianhai’s positioning as a forward-looking district, designed to embody “openness, innovation, and integration.”
Inside, an impressive scale model mapped out the entire 15-square-kilometre zone, with animated projections illustrating planned infrastructure, transport links, and clusters of specialised industries. Interactive displays showcased Qianhai’s rapid GDP growth， surpassing RMB 300 billion in 2024, and its cross-border trade volume exceeding RMB 706 billion.
The exhibition also highlighted Qianhai’s pioneering policies: legal cooperation between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, innovative financial services, preferential tax regimes, and streamlined business registration for Hong Kong and foreign firms.
Visiting the Qianhai Exhibition Hall was a fitting start to our Study Trip. It offered a clear, structured overview of the region’s development trajectory, strategic positioning, and economic potential. With this foundation, the MBA delegation entered the rest of their itinerary better prepared to understand how each subsequent visit, be it to innovation hubs, policy think tanks, or industry leaders, fits into the larger story of the Greater Bay Area.
With these insights, they were well-prepared to move forward to the next destination — TusStar Shenzhen, where innovation ecosystems take shape through entrepreneurship and incubation.
