S'poreans aspiring to be the next Jack Ma can learn about E-commerce with Alibaba classes next year

Classes starting in Jan 2018.

Kayla Wong | November 28, 2017, 11:00 PM

Singaporean entrepreneurs keen to become the next Jack Ma now have the chance to learn the ropes in the e-commerce business.

The Alibaba Business College, a school run by the Chinese Internet mogul's company Alibaba, plans to launch a digital e-commerce course as part of China's Belt and Road initiative.

Singapore will be the first country out of China to launch the programme. Classes will start in January 2018 and will be conducted entirely in English.

Helping Singaporeans succeed

According to a report by sgsme.sg, Nick Zhou, the South-east Asia Programme director of the school, said that the school wants to "help more Singaporeans focus not their own (success) story, not just Jack Ma's story".

As to why Singapore was chosen to launch the programme, Kwek Kok Kwong, chief executive officer of NTUC LearningHub, said that it makes sense for them to explore e-commerce as the city-state is "one of the most connected nations in the world".

Sino-Singapore venture

The school, set up in Hangzhou, China, in 2008, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with NTUC's Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) and LearningHub along with the Nanyang International Business College on Nov. 22

Alibaba school and Nanyang International will supply the "trainers and curriculum" while e2i and LearningHub will run the classes at their centres.

Participants can enroll in 4 masterclasses over 12 full days to learn about e-commerce business models and platforms, online retailing and digital marketing.

  • Global E-commerce Trends and Insights (3 days)
  • Masterclass in How to Start an online business (4 days)
  • Optimising Your E-commerce Business with Advanced Techniques (3 days)
  • Effective Ways to Grow Your Customers Online (2 days)

Editors Note (Nov 29, 1630hrs): This article has been updated based on latest information from the course organizer that indicated that the masterclasses will not lead to certification.

Top image via NTUC LearningHub.

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