Chula’s NEXUS AI Program and Degree Plus Expand Executive AI Leadership Network through China AI Immersion Trip 

The NEXUS AI Program, co-organized by the Faculty of Engineering and the Faculty of Commerce and Accountancy at Chulalongkorn University, in collaboration with Degree Plus, took participants on an international study trip to Beijing, Hangzhou, and Shanghai. The goal was to visit top Chinese Big Tech and AI companies during the China AI Immersion Trip from August 24 to 29, 2025. 

The NEXUS AI (Network for Executive Xceleration & Unbounded Scale) program is designed for senior executives. In its inaugural cohort, the program led over 60 participants—Chulalongkorn University executives and senior leaders—on a study mission to the People’s Republic of China, a global leader in AI ecosystems. The trip aimed to expand leadership networks and enhance organizational and national AI capabilities through knowledge exchange and visits to leading tech companies in China, including

Tencent—developer of the globally renowned WeChat super app and creator of AI models Huanyuan and Wenyuan Turbo S, which support multimodal input: text, images, audio, and video.

Zhipu AI – A unicorn startup specializing in Large Language Models (LLM) and recognized as one of China’s “AI Tigers”. It is a spin-off founded by faculty and researchers from Tsinghua University. 

Baidu – China’s leading search engine, known for innovations like the Apollo autonomous vehicle platform and AI Agents for customer service and marketing. 

Alibaba Headquarters – A global leader in e-commerce, cloud infrastructure, and AI solutions, aligned with the vision of “User First, AGI First.” 

Huawei Lianqiu Lake R\&D Center – A major research and development hub, reflecting Huawei’s heavy investment in AI with a goal to become a global leader in the field. 

CloudWalk Technology – Experts in facial recognition and multimodal AI, applying AI in language processing, facial recognition, and optical character recognition (OCR). 

This immersion trip offered a significant opportunity to explore AI applications in world-class organizations. It also provided a platform for knowledge sharing, case studies, and strategic ideation, paving the way for future cross-organizational collaboration. 

Chulalongkorn University executives on the trip included:

• Assoc. Prof. Dr. Manoj Lohatepanont, Vice President of Chulalongkorn University and Chair of the NEXUS AI Program 
• Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tartat Mokkhamakkul, Dean of the Faculty of Commerce and Accountancy 
• Prof. Dr. Sathirakorn Pongpanich, Assistant to the President and Advisor to the NEXUS AI Program 
• Assoc. Prof. Dr. Danupol Hoonsopon 
• Assoc. Prof. Dr. Chaiyachet Saivichit, Assistant to the President and Deputy Chair of the NEXUS AI Program 
• Assoc. Prof. Dr. Atiwong Suchato, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Executive Director of the NEXUS AI Program 

During the visit, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Manoj Lohatepanont also led discussions to strengthen ties with Tsinghua University, one of China’s top academic institutions, where the delegation was welcomed by Prof. Bin Yang, Vice President of Tsinghua University. 

About the NEXUS AI Program 

The NEXUS AI Program is tailored for senior executives seeking to leverage AI for organizational innovation and national transformation. Key program highlights include:

• AI Thinking for Leaders—Foundational AI knowledge taught by Chulalongkorn University faculty 
• Industry Talks—Insightful sessions with business leaders from AI-driven industries 
• Big Tech Company Visits—Study trips to top U.S. tech firms to spark AI vision and strategy 
• China AI Immersion Trip—First-hand exposure to AI innovation in leading Chinese companies 
• “Bring Your Team” Workshops—Hands-on sessions to accelerate AI adoption across business functions such as HR, Sales, and Marketing 
• Powerful Networking—A platform to expand leadership networks driving AI-forward strategies in organizations and at the national level 

For more information about the program, visit: https://lifelong.chula.ac.th/nexus/

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