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| Source: Alibaba Group. The first entrepreneur cohort from Asia to benefit from the eFounders Initiative. |
Jointly organised by UNCTAD and Alibaba Business School, the eFounders Initiative also supports Alibaba’s mission to help small businesses succeed in their home markets and beyond. It was first announced in 2017 by Alibaba Group’s founder and Executive Chairman Jack Ma in his capacity as the UNCTAD Special Adviser for Young Entrepreneurs and Small Business when he, together with Dr Mukhisa Kituyi, Secretary-General of UNCTAD, visited Africa.
The 11-day course is part of a commitment by Ma to empower 1,000 entrepreneurs from developing countries in five years. The launch of the first programme for Asian entrepreneurs comes after the success of the inaugural class for 24 African participants last November. It is expected that graduates, which become eFounders Fellows, will become catalysts in their home country and will spur digital transformation of their economies.
The candidates from Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam will embark on an intensive course providing firsthand exposure to e-commerce innovations from China and around the world. All participants are founders of their respective startup companies and offer e-commerce, big data, logistics, fintech, payment and tourism solutions.
Topics to be covered include e-commerce, payment, logistics, big data and tourism from Alibaba Group and other successful companies in the e-commerce value chain, with sessions touching on digital finance, smart logistics and rural e-commerce development, among others.
The candidates from Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam will embark on an intensive course providing firsthand exposure to e-commerce innovations from China and around the world. All participants are founders of their respective startup companies and offer e-commerce, big data, logistics, fintech, payment and tourism solutions.
Topics to be covered include e-commerce, payment, logistics, big data and tourism from Alibaba Group and other successful companies in the e-commerce value chain, with sessions touching on digital finance, smart logistics and rural e-commerce development, among others.
“We want to reach out to youth and include them in the work we do for inclusive and sustainable economic growth,” Arlette Verploegh, Coordinator for the eFounders Initiative at UNCTAD, said. “The initiative is about bridging the digital divide for young entrepreneurs and unlock their potential. It is part of a set of smart partnerships UNCTAD is creating to reach the sustainable development goals.”
“We are excited to extend this fellowship to entrepreneurs from Asia for the very first time as part of our commitment to empower digital champions and communities around the world,” said Brian A. Wong, VP, Alibaba Group, who heads the Global Initiatives programme.
“Our goal is to inspire entrepreneurs to serve as pioneers for building a more inclusive development model that is not just good for their business, but also good for society by creating platforms that all can participate in and benefit from.”
Under the auspices of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the initiative is aligned with the wider call to action to ensure that no one is left behind in the digital economy, and to help bridge the digital divide faced by businesses in emerging markets.
Under the auspices of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the initiative is aligned with the wider call to action to ensure that no one is left behind in the digital economy, and to help bridge the digital divide faced by businesses in emerging markets.
Upon graduation, participants are expected to make formal commitments on how they will apply the learning from this program. As part of the wider eFounders Initiative community of promising young entrepreneurs around the world, UNCTAD and Alibaba Group will also continue to advise on and provide support for the creation of e-commerce ecosystems jointly with other stakeholders.
To continue the impact of the initiative, UNCTAD and Alibaba have already completed a full round of follow-up meetings with Fellows from the first cohort, each of whom are actively applying what they have learned to their own enterprises, as well as sharing insights with their home communities. Fellows are working toward achieving their commitments and will continue to check in with UNCTAD and Alibaba every three months.
To continue the impact of the initiative, UNCTAD and Alibaba have already completed a full round of follow-up meetings with Fellows from the first cohort, each of whom are actively applying what they have learned to their own enterprises, as well as sharing insights with their home communities. Fellows are working toward achieving their commitments and will continue to check in with UNCTAD and Alibaba every three months.
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