Jack Ma Joins Japan as Visiting Professor

Jack Ma, the former chairman of Chinese tech giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., has taken up a visiting professor post in Japan. The news comes two years after his fall from grace during a Chinese government crackdown on the tech industry.

Ma is widely considered to be one of China’s most successful entrepreneurs and his appointment as a visiting professor at Waseda University in Tokyo marks an important milestone for him since he stepped down from Alibaba’s board last year.

The university said that Ma will teach courses related to entrepreneurship and e-commerce, drawing upon his experiences building one of the world’s largest online marketplaces over two decades ago. In addition, he will also participate in research projects with faculty members at Waseda University’s Graduate School of Commerce and Management.

Ma has kept a low profile since leaving Alibaba but continues to be active philanthropically through Jack Ma Foundation, which focuses on education initiatives across Asia Pacific countries including India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh among others. His appointment as Visiting Professor is seen by many as another step towards rebuilding his reputation following the fallout with Beijing authorities over antitrust investigations into some companies associated with him, such as Ant Group Co Ltd.