News & Highlights

  • 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.
  • NOVEMBER 2024
  • EVENT

HBS Club of Shanghai 2024 Entrepreneurship Forum

On November 23, the HBS Club of Shanghai hosted the 17th Entrepreneurship Forum, themed “Good Business in China.” The event featured a keynote speech by Jacqueline Chen, Managing Director of Aldi China, titled “Back to Basics: The Great Truth in Simple Words.” It also included three panel discussions on topics spanning sports and lifestyle, food and beverage, and movies and games, highlighting how business impacts every aspect of life. Over 100 HBS alumni and professionals attended the event.
  • SEPTEMBER 2024
  • ALUMNI EVENT

HBS MBA Info Session in Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong and Shenzhen

In August and September, the HBS Asia-Pacific Research Center and the MBA Admissions Office hosted information sessions in Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong, and Shenzhen. More than 300 prospective applicants attended the events, where 18 alumni shared insights about their experiences at HBS, highlighting the personal and professional growth they gained from the program.
  • AUGUST 2024
  • ALUMNI EVENT

2024 HBS Investment Forum

On September 8, the HBS Clubs of Beijing and Shanghai and the Greater China Executive Education Alumni Group organized the 2024 HBS Investment Forum, themed "Reflecting on Long Cycles, Adapting to New Changes." The event brought together over 50 HBS alumni to engage in discussions on business dynamics in an ever-evolving society. Nancy Dai, Executive Director of the HBS Asia-Pacific Research Center, presented case and research updates within Asia Pacific. Tracy Pang, Director of China Market, provided an overview of HBS Executive Education. Sia Zhou, Program Manager of the HBS Asia-Pacific Research Center, shared updates on HBS MBA information sessions and the Field Global Capstone.

New Research on the Region

  • December 2024
  • Case

Tencent Games

By: Rebecca Karp, Billy Chan and Nancy Hua Dai

For years, Tencent Games, a division of China’s largest internet company, had taken the lion’s share of revenue in the global gaming market with blockbuster titles such as “League of Legends” and “PUBG: Battlegrounds.” These games defined the game genres that they belonged to with unique, innovative gameplays, and Tencent Games was able to seek out and partner with the creators behind these games because of successful execution of its investment strategy. But the competitive landscape of the gaming industry had changed, and the company was at a crossroads deciding whether to pursue an opportunity in a new, unproven game genre.

  • October 2024
  • Teaching Material

The Semiconductor Industry

By: Andy Wu, Steve Blank and Matt Higgins

The semiconductor industry powers modern technology, from consumer electronics to data centers. This background note explores the layers of the semiconductor inudstry value chain, including Integrated Device Manufacturers (IDMs), fabless companies, and foundries, while detailing the critical role of chip design, manufacturing, and market dynamics in the global supply chain.

  • October 2024
  • Case

Nvidia

By: Andy Wu and Matt Higgins

This case study examines Nvidia's strategic pivot from gaming GPUs to becoming a leader in general-purpose computing and AI. It explores how Nvidia leveraged its GPU architecture to dominate the growing fields of data center acceleration and AI training, outpacing competitors. Key themes include the evolution of Nvidia’s product lines, its ecosystem-driven strategy (CUDA), and the company’s role in advancing AI technologies across industries. This transition has positioned Nvidia as a critical player in the future of AI-driven computing, reshaping both the company and the broader semiconductor landscape.

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