News & Highlights

  • March 2025
  • EVENT

2025 New Venture Competition Asia-Pacific Regional Final

On March 9, at the 2025 New Venture Competition Alumni Track Asia-Pacific Regional Final, eight teams from China, Australia, Indonesia, and India presented their innovative business ideas. Noolie, which focuses on empowering children throughout Southeast Asia with nutrient-rich treats, received the Best Investment Award and will represent APAC at the Global Finale. Turmerik and VoxPop AI were honored with the Best Innovation and Best Social Impact Awards, respectively.
  • February 2025
  • ALUMNI EVENT

HBSAHK Signature Conference 2025

On February 22, 2025, the HBS Alumni Club of Hong Kong (HBSAHK) celebrated its 45th anniversary with the 9th Signature Conference at Cloud 39, The Henderson. Centered on “Leadership in an Era of Change”, the event featured keynote speaker Eddie Yue (MBA 1998), Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, alongside panels on AI, global supply chains, and education. Speakers included HBS alumni such as Dr. Victor Fung (PHD 1971), Dr. John Quelch (DBA 1977), Mr. Sebastian Man (MBA 1985), Mr. Joe Ngai (MBA 2000), and Ms. Jolie Chow (MBA 2010). With 300+ attendees, including HBS alumni and business leaders, the conference sparked engaging discussions and even “cold calls” from the audience. A dynamic exchange of ideas left participants inspired to lead with resilience in a rapidly evolving world.
  • January 2025
  • EVENT

Crimson Ball - “Blossoms Shanghai”

The Crimson Ball on January 12, 2025, organized by the HBS Club of Shanghai and supported by the Harvard Club of Shanghai, celebrated the enduring connections within the School’s community. This year’s theme, “Blossoms Shanghai,” brought to life an immersive experience inspired by a Shanghai literary classic. The performance highlighted stories of perseverance, business philosophy, and romantic encounters, set against the iconic Peace Hotel. Blending art and connection, the event embodied the HBS values of excellence, innovation, and responsibility, leaving attendees with lasting memories of culture and shared connections.
  • DECEMBER 2024
  • EVENT

Professor Paul Gompers’ Dinner Discussions with Alumni in Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Beijing

In December 2024, Prof. Paul Gompers visited Greater China for his research on “Entrepreneurship Outside the Valley”. During the trip, he engaged with over 50 alumni through dinner discussions held in Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Beijing. At these events, Prof. Gompers introduced his new course, Entrepreneurship Outside the Valley, which currently featured 25 cases across continents, and shared his research insights on the key elements that influenced the success of an entrepreneurial ecosystem.
  • DECEMBER 2024
  • EVENT

Professor John Kim’s Case Teaching on Indonesia’s Education Reform

On December 2, Prof. John Jong-Hyun Kim taught the case “Indonesia Education Reform: Merdeka Belajar (‘Emancipated Learning’)”, co-authored by the HBS Asia-Pacific Research Center’s Adina Wong and Nancy Hua Dai and Independent Researcher Mary C. Sauer (2022 Senior Fellow, Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative). Prof. Kim led a discussion about how leaders/entrepreneurs can apply the disciplines of entrepreneurship, management and innovation to transform the education sector. Case protagonist Nadiem Makarim (HBS 2011), Indonesia’s former Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology, and Jurist Tan (Harvard Kennedy School 2015), Special Staff to the Minister for Governance, observed the session online.

New Research on the Region

  • April 2025
  • Case

Breezm: Innovative 3D-Printed Eyewear (A)

By: Juan Alcácer, Brian Mao Fu and Adina Wong

In 2023, Breezm, a South Korean startup, faced a strategic decision about how to grow its innovative 3D-printed, custom-fit eyewear business. Co-founded in 2017 by Zenma Park and Wooseok Sung, Breezm combined facial scanning, AI, and in-house production to solve the problem of ill-fitting glasses. With $4.5 million in 2022 revenue and a vertically integrated direct to consumer (DTC) model, the company aimed to go public by 2027. The founders now had to decide whether to optimize operations in Seoul, expand across Korea, or pursue international growth to reach scale and profitability. Each path presented different risks and opportunities. Domestic optimization could improve margins but limit long-term growth. National expansion would tap into new Korean markets, but face intense price competition. Global expansion offered the largest potential, yet required overcoming regulatory hurdles and investing in brand-building abroad. The choice would shape Breezm’s path to becoming a global leader in personalized eyewear.

  • March 2025
  • Case

Mobvoi’s Path Through Market Challenges and Business Reinvention

By: Paul A. Gompers and Shu Lin

Founded in 2012, Mobvoi evolved through multiple transformations—from AI-driven voice technology to smart wearables and later AI-generated content. Backed by major investors, the company navigated shifts in strategy while facing two failed IPO attempts. As market conditions shifted and funding dried up, founder Zhifei Li faced a critical decision—should Mobvoi attempt another IPO or chart a different course for its future?

  • February 13, 2025
  • Article
  • Harvard Business Review Digital Articles

Research: The Costs of Circumventing Tariffs

By: Jaya Y. Wen, Ebehi Iyoha, Edmund Malesky and Sung-Ju Wu

When tariffs are levied against a specific country, that country might attempt to circumvent the tariff by rerouting products through a third country to avoid the higher taxes. Research in the aftermath of the 2018 U.S.-China trade war examined this phenomenon, finding that, while tariff circumvention through Vietnam did happen, it wasn’t as widespread as many had initially thought. That said, there still was an increase in tariff circumvention more broadly, and specifically via Chinese-owned firms in Vietnam. The findings suggest that if a country is considering implementing tariffs, a better approach might involve ownership-based duties or firm-specific sanctions instead of blanket tariffs.

See more research

Shanghai Staff

Nancy Dai
Managing Director and Executive Director, Harvard Center Shanghai; Executive Director, Asia-Pacific Research Center
Brian Fu
Researcher
Crystal Gu
Program Coordinator
Shu Lin
Senior Researcher
Tracy Qin
Manager for Administration
Sia Zhou
Program Manager

Singapore Staff

Adina Wong
Assistant Director, Research
Harold Zhu
Researcher

Hong Kong Staff

Billy Chan
Senior Researcher
Kitty Chow
Executive Secretary
Connie Yeung
Assistant Director, Administration