SISU welcomed alumnus Ma Jianrong and Peking University professor Peng Liangyou for talks on September 29 and 30, offering students insights into career development, lifelong learning, and the opportunities and challenges of artificial intelligence.

Ma, a 1982 English major graduate of SISU and former vice president of JD.com, has spent four decades working across diplomacy, government, international business, and technology. He is now CEO of an education technology company focusing on chip science education.

At the September 29 event, held in Gele Building, SISU Deputy Party Secretary Gou Chaoli welcomed the speakers and hosted the event.

Drawing on six major career transitions, Ma shared lessons from his professional journey, from China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Shenzhen municipal government to Motorola, Lenovo, and JD.com. He encouraged students to consider broader economic and technological trends, recognize their strengths, and remain willing to acquire new skills when making career decisions.

Reflecting on his involvement in Lenovo's acquisition of IBM's personal computer business and JD.com's international expansion, Ma emphasized that graduation should not mark the end of learning. Rather than relying on a fixed career path for stability, he urged students to develop the ability to adapt, learn continuously, and respond to new challenges.

He also addressed the changing demands of the job market in the age of AI, encouraging students to explore emerging opportunities in fields such as science communication and technology ethics, where their existing skills could offer valuable perspectives.

On September 30, Peng, a Boya Distinguished Professor of physics at Peking University, took students on a journey through four centuries of scientific discovery. Centering his talk on the relationship between matter, energy, and information, he traced how advances in physics have helped shape modern civilization, from the development of steam power and electricity to today's semiconductor technologies and AI.

Peng explained how Newtonian mechanics and thermodynamics laid the foundations for the industrial age, while Maxwell's electromagnetic theory helped usher in the era of electricity. More recently, quantum mechanics, solid-state physics, and information theory have underpinned the development of modern computing and artificial intelligence.

Looking to the future, Peng encouraged students to build a strong foundation in fundamental knowledge, remain curious, and take initiative in exploring new ideas. He also stressed the importance of cultivating human qualities and abilities that cannot easily be replaced by AI.

At the end of each talk, the speaker took questions from students about career changes, navigating the AI era, and opportunities for humanities students to explore other fields. Both speakers shared advice based on their own experiences.

窗体底端

Ma Jianrong Speaks

Peng Liangyou Speaks

Audience Asks Questions