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Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group (“Alibaba International”) successfully concluded the 2024 Global E-commerce Challenge (GEC), with the grand finale taking place in Hangzhou, China, where young innovators from across the globe were celebrated for their groundbreaking contributions.
First launched in 2021, the GEC aims to empower young talent worldwide to shape the future of e-commerce. The 2024 competition focused on how artificial intelligence (AI) can revolutionize online shopping, challenging university students and recent graduates to develop innovative solutions addressing issues such as voice and visual search, personalized shopping experiences, and cross-border commerce. Throughout the contest, participants received mentorship from Alibaba International experts, offering guidance on AI strategies and practical insights into e-commerce challenges.
This year’s GEC attracted over 1,000 participants, forming more than 500 teams from regions like the Americas, East Asia, Europe, and Southeast Asia. After two rounds of rigorous selection, 11 teams, totaling 39 finalists, advanced to the global finale in Hangzhou. These finalists presented their AI-driven solutions to a distinguished panel of judges, including Lillian Jiang, Chief People Officer of Alibaba International; Kaifu Zhang, Vice President of Alibaba International; Ying Peng, General Manager of AliExpress; Carlos Barrera, CEO of Lazada Philippines; and Jin Qin, Investment Director at Alibaba International.
The competition’s assessment criteria included Technical Execution (20%), AI Integration (20%), AI Innovation (25%), Presentation (10%), and Consumer Experience (25%). After careful deliberation, Team CrashCourse from Singapore Management University claimed first prize, earning $10,000 in travel vouchers. Team The Echelon Group took second place, while Team Saturdays from the Bandung Institute of Technology finished third. The second- and third-place teams were awarded $5,000 and $3,000 in travel vouchers, respectively. Additionally, all finalists received internship offers from Alibaba International.
The event concluded with a celebratory awards ceremony, where the winners were recognized for their exceptional achievements and welcomed to Alibaba International as future interns.
