The University of Tokyo announced on May 1 that Alibaba Group founder Jack Ma had accepted an invitation from Tokyo College, a new institution run by the University of Tokyo. Jack Ma will teach as a visiting professor.

The University said that Ma’s term will end in October 2023, but his contract may be renewed annually. In addition to lectures on management and business startups, he will teach subjects related to important research topics.

The Tokyo College interfaces between the University of Tokyo and overseas research institutions.

Earlier, the billionaire was in the spotlight for criticising China’s regulatory framework.

At the annual People’s Bank of China Financial Markets Forum, Ma criticised China’s regulators and banks, which the government later cracked down on.

Ant Group then abruptly called off its expected initial public offering. Ant Group is a Chinese fintech company led by Jack Ma.

Jack Ma disappeared from public view between October 2020 and January 2021. While Chinese authorities have clarified that the crackdown on Jack Ma’s company is over, Chinese entrepreneurs remain concerned about the government’s intentions. Ma reduced his stake in Ant Group to 8.8% to prevent a crackdown by Chinese authorities.