On the afternoon of March 28, 2024, Wu Sen, Party Secretary of the School of Economics and Management (SEM), led a group of over 20 faculty, staff, and alumni to visit Baidu Company for learning and exchange. The visit aimed to deepen the understanding of the internet technology industry among faculty, staff, and alumni, promote school-enterprise cooperation and exchange, and jointly explore the smart future.
As the world's largest Chinese search engine, Baidu has been committed to providing people with a "simple and reliable" way to access information since its founding in 2000. The company's founder, Mr. Robin Li, holds the patent for "Hyperlink Analysis" technology, which helped make China one of only four countries in the world to possess core search engine technology. Today, Baidu has grown into a leading AI company built on a powerful internet infrastructure, holding numerous patents and operating many laboratories and research centers, demonstrating tremendous technological innovation capability.
At the Baidu company exhibition hall, faculty, staff, and alumni attentively listened to professional guides' introductions. Through watching demonstration videos, viewing physical models, and interactive experiences, they further learned about Baidu's development history, corporate culture, industrial layout, as well as its cutting-edge technologies and applications in artificial intelligence, big data, and autonomous driving. They also experienced the multi-scenario application functions of Baidu's "ERNIE Bot" (Wenxin Yiyan) 4.0 on-site. The Baidu corporate culture wall and patent wall that came into view last gave faculty, staff, and alumni a direct sense of Baidu's humanistic care and emphasis on scientific and technological research and development.
After the visit, Secretary Wu Sen had a cordial exchange with Ms. Ying Wang, an outstanding alumnus of the School's Industrial and Trade Class of 1995 and Vice President of Baidu. Secretary Wu expressed sincere gratitude on behalf of the School for Baidu Company's meticulous organization and thoughtful arrangements. The two sides discussed and exchanged views on talent cultivation, student internship and employment, and other aspects.
This visit not only provided faculty, staff, and alumni with a rare opportunity for learning and exchange, but also gave them a more comprehensive and in-depth understanding of Baidu Company, enabling them to gain a clearer understanding of the development trends and future prospects of the AI industry. Participants expressed that through this learning visit, they not only broadened their horizons and gained knowledge, but also sparked a strong interest in the field of artificial intelligence.
The "Alumni Enterprise Visit" activity of the School of Economics and Management at USTB aims to strengthen communication and connections between alumni and the School, alumni and current faculty and students, as well as among alumni themselves through on-site visits to outstanding alumni enterprises, while also committed to providing faculty, staff, and alumni with broader practical platforms and rich learning resources. In the future, the School will continue to create more practical opportunities for faculty, staff, and alumni to cultivate more high-quality talents with innovative spirit and practical capabilities.
Faculty representatives Wei Guiying and Zhou Yunan from the School, Qin Yifang, Director of the School's Alumni and Fund Office, alumni representatives, and some members of the USTB Management Association participated in this visit.
