Alibaba founder Jack Ma takes up Tokyo University visiting professorship

The appointment term for China’s best-known entrepreneur finishes at the end of October, but the contract is renewable on an annual basis, the university said.

At the college, Ma will be engaged in areas including advising on important research themes and giving lectures on management and business start-ups.

The announcement came after Ma returned to China in March, ending a stay overseas of more than a year that industry viewed as reflecting the sober mood of the country’s private businesses after a tough two-year regulatory crackdown.