Campus Digest

School of Business signs MoU with Guangzhou Cloud Butterfly Technology to advance AI and business education

Thursday, 8 October 2026

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Professor Zhang Han, Dean and Chair Professor of the School of Business (left), and Dr Tian Xuesong, Founder and CEO of Cloud Butterfly Technology (right), sign the MoU.
Representatives from the School of Business and Cloud Butterfly Technology attend the signing ceremony.

 

The School of Business signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Guangzhou Cloud Butterfly Technology Co. Ltd. (Cloud Butterfly Technology) on 25 August to strengthen industry-academia-research collaboration and innovation in artificial intelligence (AI) and business education, with a particular focus on providing students with hands-on, real-world learning opportunities.

The MoU was signed by Professor Zhang Han, Dean and Chair Professor of the School of Business, and Dr Tian Xuesong, Founder and CEO of Cloud Butterfly Technology. The signing ceremony was attended by HKBU representatives, including Professor Chang Song, Head and Associate Professor of the Department of Management, Marketing and Information Systems (MMIS); Professor Li Mengxiang, Programme Director of the Master of Science in AI for Business (MScAIB) and Associate Professor of MMIS; Professor Christy Cheung, Director of the Research Office and Chair Professor of MMIS; Professor Zhao Liang and Professor Zeng Jicheng, Assistant Professors of MMIS; Dr Song Qingping, and Dr Liu Ruiqi,  Research Assistant Professors of MMIS; and Dr Zhang Yusen, Lecturer of MMIS. Representing Cloud Butterfly Technology were Ms Zhao Qing and Mr Luo Chongjian, Vice Presidents; and Ms Wang Menghan, Director of Public Relations.

The collaboration establishes a framework to bridge academic learning with industry practice for students of the MScAIB programme. A key initiative is the co-establishment of the “HKBU MSc in AI for Business and Cloud Butterfly Technology Joint Industry-Academia-Research Lab”, a joint industry-academia-research laboratory in Guangzhou’s Haizhu District, which will serve as a base for student internships, research, project development, and entrepreneurship activities.

Under the partnership, students will gain firsthand insight into AI industry operations and commercial applications through company visits to Cloud Butterfly Technology. The two parties will co-develop curriculum modules that integrate real-world industry cases, with Cloud Butterfly Technology nominating scientists and senior executives to serve as industry mentors. Students will also have opportunities to participate in practical training through co-organised competitions, including hackathons and innovation challenges, as well as workshops and hands-on projects.

Professor Li Mengxiang stated: “The positioning of our programme is very clear: we aim to cultivate leaders who can bridge AI and business innovation, and create tangible impact for organisations. We are not training pure algorithm engineers, nor are we training managers who only talk about concepts. We want to develop individuals who understand both the technical logic of AI and the underlying logic of business.”

Mr Luo Chongjian said: “Having deep roots in the industry, we have always held one core conviction: embodied intelligence should move beyond theoretical demonstrations in the laboratory. It must enter real business scenarios to run tasks, accumulate data, iterate, and evolve. The real world is the best training ground for embodied intelligence. Looking ahead, we are committed to building the next generation of industrial productivity.”

Following the signing ceremony, representatives from both parties further discussed collaboration opportunities, including joint research and contributing to the broader AI ecosystem in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.