On June 17, 2026, the themed exchange and study event "Born from the Sea, Computing in Symbiosis," organized by the MBA Education Center of Tsinghua University's School of Economics and Management, was held as scheduled at the MBA alumni enterprise 

Beijing Highlander Data Technology Co., Ltd.

Li Mingzhi, Professor of Economics at Tsinghua's School of Economics and Management; Ma Jia, Director of the MBA Education Center; and nearly 40 Tsinghua MBA alumni and students visited Highlander to gain an in-depth understanding of Hailan Cloud's underwater data centers, green and low-carbon computing power infrastructure, and the frontier practices of industrial innovation in the era of artificial intelligence, deepening their understanding of the intelligent computing economy through the integration of theory and practice.

Group photo of Tsinghua MBA faculty, students, and alumni

Wei Fajun (Tsinghua MBA Class of 1998 alumnus), former co-founder of Highlander, along with his team, warmly received the visiting faculty, students, and alumni. During the visit, participants systematically learned about the company's development journey in the exhibition hall: starting from ship black boxes, gradually expanding into marine informatization fields such as intelligent navigation systems and submarine observation networks, and in recent years pioneering the entirely new field of underwater data centers.

Currently, Highlander is one of the few marine high-tech enterprises in China possessing a five-in-one integrated monitoring capability spanning "sky, air, shore, sea, and seabed," with over 100 patents. The company's development bears witness to China's technological journey from follower to leader, and has been part of the entire process of China's marine electronic equipment going from nonexistence to existence, from import dependence to indigenous control.

Alumnus Wei Fajun introduces the company's development

During the event, faculty, students, and alumni focused on learning about the Shanghai Lingang Underwater Data Center Project. As a second-generation demonstration project, it has achieved direct connection to offshore wind power, with a direct green electricity supply rate exceeding 95%, saving 61 million kWh of electricity annually, providing a new practical model for green and low-carbon computing power infrastructure construction in the era of artificial intelligence.

In the discussion session, faculty, students, and alumni actively raised questions related to industrial organization, covering dimensions such as competitive barriers, policy risks, cost estimation, customer acquisition, and operation and maintenance services. The Highlander management team shared the challenges and responses encountered during 25 years of entrepreneurship, and also spoke about the support and assistance provided by their Tsinghua alma mater, teachers, and alumni network throughout the company's growth.

Prof. Li Mingzhi and Ms. Ma Jia present a school album to alumnus Wei Fajun

Ms. Ma Jia, Director of the MBA Education Center, summarized by noting that Highlander's practice is not only a typical case of deep integration between technological innovation and industrial innovation, but also a vivid textbook example of Chinese enterprises persisting in indigenous innovation and driving domestic substitution in critical fields. Highlander spent over two decades transforming China's marine electronics from "zero supporting capabilities" to "core indigenous control" — a journey that offers important inspiration for MBA students in understanding national strategy and corporate responsibility.

Looking ahead, Tsinghua MBA will continue to connect alumni enterprises with the industrial front line, promoting deep integration of classroom learning, enterprise practice, and alumni resources, helping students understand management issues and seize innovation opportunities in real industrial scenarios. Both parties also expressed their intention to further deepen exchanges in areas such as talent cultivation, case development, and project collaboration.

Written by: Liu Jie (Tsinghua MBA Class of 2014 alumna)

Photography: Li Juntao (Tsinghua MBA Class of 2014 alumnus)