Inheriting Steve Jobs's wish, Apple University plans to enter China

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On November 4, people familiar with the matter revealed that Apple intends to promote the Apple University program to China in order to consolidate its business position in China in the long term. Joel Podolny, Apple's vice president and president of Apple University, is currently looking for a suitable candidate to serve as the president of Apple University's China campus.

Apple University was founded in 2008 as an internal expansion and growth program to train mid-level employees and managers and to communicate the decisions made by Jobs and other senior executives. The program was originally initiated by Jobs and former Yale Business School Dean Bodoni to keep Apple's corporate culture alive and prevent it from disappearing with the departure of important executives.

The expansion of Apple University to China is an important decision made by Apple as a global company. This will be the first time that Apple has fully expanded its executive program to other countries outside the United States, indicating that it wants to continue to expand its business in China, not just sales and operations.

Apple has previously offered small executive education programs in other countries and regions and hired many visiting professors. Since many of Apple's suppliers are headquartered in China, the courses offered by Apple University in China are likely to focus on product engineering and manufacturing matters.

Bodoni, who previously led Apple's global human resources department, now reports directly to Apple CEO Tim Cook, and the president of Apple University China will report directly to Bodoni.

Earlier this year, Bodoni handed over leadership of the HR department to Denise Young-Smith so that he could focus on Apple University. Apple has also hired professors from other companies and many well-known business schools to help Bodoni develop courses.

According to people familiar with the matter, Cook recently confirmed the plan to a small number of employees in a meeting with employees of the Chinese retail business. Cook is said to have said at the meeting that the purpose of opening Apple University in China is to introduce the company's "legacy and culture" to the growing number of Chinese employees and managers. He added that Apple is a company that looks forward, not backward, and the company cannot tolerate a loose connection between its US and Chinese businesses.

According to people familiar with the matter, Apple currently employs approximately 5,000 employees in China, mainly in retail, operations, marketing and corporate departments.

Apple currently has 12 retail stores in China and has corporate offices in Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai. Apple has also recently expanded its research and development department in China. Apple plans to continue to expand its retail business in China and strive to increase the total number of retail stores in China to 40 in the next two years.

Cook reportedly told employees at the meeting that there could be more retail stores, but Apple didn't want to spread its war line too thin.

Apple has been growing rapidly in the Chinese market over the past few years, selling millions of iPhones and iPads in a short period of time. Earlier this year, Apple signed an agreement with China Mobile to further expand its business in China. Cook frequently visits China and meets with employees and government officials, and inspects the production plants of supply chain manufacturers.

Angela Ahrendts, Apple's senior vice president of retail, has acknowledged that China plays a very important role in her three-step plan for Apple's retail business.