On November 14, 2023, Associate Professor Hao Chen led a student group of 30+ business school students to WeWork to participate in an intangible cultural heritage event.

Ms. Wang Hang, Assistant City Leader -SZ,HK,TW., introduced the business model of WeWork and shared with the students how the company took an unique way to localize in China as well as key business innovations. She emphasized that the core business philosophy of the company is “flexibility is everything” which inspires the students.

In the Q&A session, Ms. Hang further elaborated on the rental model of the company and explained how the company ran effectively on a small team. Such an interactive session helped students deepen their understanding of the shared office business.

In the second part of the event, Mr. Chengjin LIANG and Ms. Changjun LI, the founders of a local entrepreneurial company—ShuiLianDong Ink-Stone—introduced the history of Duan Ink-Stone, a traditional calligraphy stationary, and showed ChuanTa techniques and methods, an intangible cultural heritage method, to print the inscription and carving design onto traditional rice paper to create decorative art.

Students learnt from both Ms. Li and Mr. Liang to use Chuanta techniques to make their own art piece. This learning experience broadens students’ horizons that they start to understand the importance of business and how business innovation could empower artists to pass on intangible cultural heritage.

At the end of the event, Ms. Li invited the students to participate in a business challenge, providing business solutions for ShuiLianDong Ink-Stone on how to preserve traditional arts and intangible cultural heritage.

Written by: Jing TANG

Edited by:Hao CHEN