The 2023 class of the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) program of MUST School of Business (MSB) successfully completed the enterprise research activities from May to June 2025. The research was conducted in three batches across Taiwan, Hangzhou, and Guangzhou. Under the guidance of program director, Associate Professor Zhang Zhuo, the DBA students visited renowned companies, engaged in in-depth discussions with industry experts, and attended specialized lectures by professors from local universities to gain a deeper understanding of corporate operations and industry development trends and challenges.
A total of 103 DBA students participated in this year’s enterprise research. Led by Professor of Practice Tang Ka Lok, Vice President of MUST, the first batch of 36 students visited NTU on 15 May. They attended a presentation by Professor Hu Shing-Yang, Dean of College of Management, on NTU’s achievements in integrating academia and practice. Professor Bryan Jean, Associate Dean of International Affairs, introduced cases of innovation and platform economy in Taiwan. The research team then visited Galaxy Medical Beauty Group, where founder Dr. Huang Jun-Rong shared insights on franchise system construction and data-driven operations. Finally, they toured the Everrich Duty Free, where Chairman Dr. Wu Shiouh-Guang discussed the challenges of digital transformation.
Group photo of the first batch of DBA students with Professor Hu Hsing-Yang (second from the left of front row), Dean of College of Management at NTU; Professor Bryan Jean (second from the right of front row), Associate Dean of International Affairs; and Professor of Practice Tang Ka Lok (centre of front row), Vice President of MUST
Group photo of the first batch of DBA students at NTU
Group photo of the first batch of DBA students with Dr. Wu Shiouh-Guang, Chairman of Everrich Duty Free (centre of front row)
The second batch of 34 students conducted a four-day research trip to Hangzhou on 29 May. Through a lecture titled “Paths and Challenges of Digital Transformation” delivered by Professor Shou Yong Yi from Zhejiang University, the DBA students gained deeper insights into how to address the challenges of corporate digitalization. During subsequent visits to Hikvision and Alibaba Group, they experienced the applications of artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things in smart cities and industrial automation, and developed a clearer understanding of data intelligence and cloud computing.
Group photo of the second batch of DBA students at Zhejiang University
The second batch of DBA students visited Alibaba Group
The third batch of 33 students started their research in Guangzhou in early June. Their first stop was Sun Yat-sen University, where they attended the lecture themed “intelligent finance and business talent integration” by Professor Lu Rui of the Management Accounting major. The team then visited the intelligent manufacturing base of Guangzhou Automobile Group Co. Ltd. (GAC) to learn about the application and AI optimization in manufacturing processes. Finally, the team visited Japanese-owned Nidec Motor (Dongguan) Corporation to understand its technological innovations in motors and robotics, and experienced Japan’s “on-siteism” management philosophy.
Group photo of the third batch of DBA students at Sun Yat-sen University
The third batch of DBA students visited the GAC intelligent manufacturing base
The three-location enterprise research significantly enhanced the DBA students’ understanding of the development of academia and industry across the regions. They gained a comprehensive overview of the current status and trends of different types of enterprises, enriched their knowledge of management theory, AI, and corporate innovation, and improved their business insight and communication skills, benefiting greatly from the experience.
(Contributed and reviewed by Associate Professor Zhang Zhuo, format reviewed by Helen Kam)
