Recently, the Department of Business Administration at the School of Economics and Management completed the foundational cognitive practicum for Class of 2024 undergraduates. Over a ten-day intensive program, students traveled across Jiangsu, Anhui, and Zhejiang provinces, visiting nine leading benchmark enterprises in fields including pharmaceuticals and healthcare, energy and mining, artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, and digital media. Through these visits, students experienced firsthand the diverse landscape and transformative momentum of China’s industrial development. Faculty members Mu Yupeng, Yue Ting, and Chu Xu led the practicum.
In Xuzhou, students witnessed the innovative vitality of established enterprises. With nearly 60 years of history, Fosun Pharma Wanfang has maintained growth for 40 consecutive years, advancing from traditional pharmaceuticals toward a “C2M Health” ecosystem. Its profound corporate culture and modern lean management model (OEA) left a deep impression. At Yaoqiao Coal Mine—a “meritorious mine” that has long contributed to the nation’s energy supply—students observed the difficult yet determined transition to intelligent mining, gaining a profound sense of the responsibility borne by traditional energy enterprises.
Visit to Fosun Pharma Wanfang Group Co., Ltd.
Visit to Yaoqiao Coal Mine
In Hefei, iFLYTEK demonstrated the powerful driving force of artificial intelligence. From voice recognition technology to the “Spark” large language model, iFLYTEK’s deep applications across education, healthcare, and daily life sparked students’ reflection on the evolving “human–machine relationship.” The warning from Xu Xue, Dean of iFLYTEK Higher Education Research Institute—“Only by running fast can you remain stable”—further heightened students’ sense of urgency.
Visit to iFLYTEK Co., Ltd.
In Hangzhou, Zhejiang Dahua impressed with a compound annual growth rate of 42.23%. With an average employee age of just 28, the company has built its “1+N” smart IoT solutions based on the “Xinghan” 2.0 large model, creating tremendous value in sectors such as energy and security. Hikvision, driven by an engineer-oriented culture, showcased its path of continuous innovation—from solving “can see,” to “can see clearly,” and now “can understand”—a clear trajectory of technological iteration.
Visit to Zhejiang Dahua Technology Co., Ltd.
Visit to Hikvision Digital Technology Co., Ltd.
In Hangzhou, Robam Appliances illustrated the rise of enterprises in the era of reform and opening up through its 45-year development story. From humble beginnings with hand tools to developing the “Jiutian” large model and building a global culinary arts center, its adherence to “kitchen vitality” and innovation in digital kitchen appliances embodied the transformation from traditional manufacturing to smart manufacturing. Worry-Free Media (Wuyou Media) overturned perceptions with youthful vitality. As an MCN giant with 2 billion followers across platforms, its “people + content + products” business model and innovative “Red Livestreaming” Party-building initiatives reflected the dynamism of the new economy. Its vision of a boundless ecosystem challenged traditional business imagination. At Yuanpai Technology in Hangzhou, students visited China’s national “Zero-Energy” demonstration building and observed how photovoltaic power generation and ice-storage cooling technologies enable buildings to achieve energy self-sufficiency. The low-carbon achievements on display and lean management practices in smart workshops offered vivid examples of integrating green technologies with modern management.
Visit to Robam Appliances
Visit to Wuyou Media
Visit to Hangzhou Yuanpai Technology Co., Ltd.
As part of the cultural and ideological component, a visit to Anhui Museum provided students with a deeper sense of history. The splendid history of Huizhou merchants and Anhui’s role in regional development today prompted reflections on comparative advantage and future development pathways. Amid the anxieties of digital acceleration, historical heritage offered a sense of spiritual solace.
Visit to Anhui Museum
This cross-provincial cognitive practicum opened a window for Class of 2024 Business Administration undergraduates to better understand the complex fabric and vibrant vitality of China’s industrial economy. From the transformation pains of Xuzhou’s old industrial base to the surging waves of innovation in Hefei and Hangzhou, students not only traced the trajectory of industries shifting from traditional manufacturing to digital intelligence, but also deeply appreciated how corporate culture, historical inheritance, and contemporary opportunities intertwine to shape business vitality. This dynamic, experiential “intelligent digital classroom” has sown the seeds for cultivating students with insight into the times and the courage to embrace change.
Authors: Ma Yihan, Ren Ziqi
Photography: Jiang Yongtong
Proofreading: Ma Yihan, Ren Ziqi
First Review: Jiang Hongyan
Second Review: Li Xinchun
