To understand the development and application of the Internet in China, more than 40 students from Asian Future Leaders Scholarship Program and International Affairs and Global Governance Program spent a day in Cloud Town (an industrial town dominated by cloud computing) on November 9, 2018, accompanied by Professor Yu Xunda, visiting DT Dream a unicorn startup in data industry, and Wasu Group, which is in the first echelon of new media industry.
After the team arrived at DT Dream at around 2 pm, they were given a brief orientation about the history and business of the company. The students interacted with the host and raised several questions, including DT Dream’s international strategy, competitiveness, advantages as compared to Alibaba and protection of data security. The host answered them patiently and introduced a new concept “data sovereignty” in explaining how to cooperate with foreign companies and governments. Students considered the introduction informative and helpful.
The orientation was followed by a tour where students were able to see DT Dream’s products being applied in the field of transportation, online payment and administrative service. In the digital era, these products provide convenience in people’s daily life.
The team made also a tour of Wasu Group. On arrival at the exhibition hall, students were attracted by the logo of Wasu, which was composed of 65 hung curved screens. After taking photos with the logo, students visited the exhibition hall, with emphasis on Wasu’s three main services.
Firstly, the guide explained Wasu Smart Network, including three programs of “Smart Family”, “Smart Village” and “Smart City”. As for “Smart Village”, Wasu built a platform integrating entertainment, payment and public service, which enabled villagers to make appointments and handle business by clicking buttons on televisions instead of going through administration procedures. A Japanese student was amazed by the application of AI in real life when participating in “Smart Family” simulation experiment.
The second main service is Wasu content. Wasu seized opportunities of cultural industry development to update and expand its content base. From traditional media like high-definition movies and TV series, to emerging media including exclusive documentary channel, 4K and VR, Wasu is purchasing and co-developing a large number of resources with high quality. The third service is about big data. Wasu relied on mass data generated by its own products, extensively integrated data resources from TV ratings to conduct data mining to optimize its own contents and services. At the end of the tour, students signed their names on Wasu’s signature wall.
The tour provided international students with further insight into how China’s advanced technology and data mining affected people’s way of life as well as government services. It was a very informative visit that made international students aware of China’s high-tech level, which was significantly different from their former impression on China’s economy and technology. At the same time, students learned that through Internet platforms and data processing technology, internet companies of China are going global, offering experience of data utilization to foreign governments and enterprises.
Source:http://www.spa.zju.edu.cn/spachinese/2018/1120/c13219a904700/page.htm
