Mashable: Jack Ma, the founder of Alibaba and one of China’s most famous and influential business figures, has resurfaced as a visiting professor at the University of Tokyo. He gave his first lecture to students on June 12, sharing his insights on management philosophy and how to achieve success as per CNN.

Ma, who used to teach English before he created one of the world’s largest e-commerce platforms, spoke for two hours at a special seminar for students from Japan, China, India, Malaysia, and other countries. According to a statement from the University of Tokyo, Ma’s talk was based on “his rich experience and pioneering knowledge of entrepreneurship and innovation.”

This is not the first time Ma has taught at a prestigious university. He became a professor at the University of Hong Kong in April and will stay there for three years. He also joined the University of Tokyo on May 1 and will remain until October 31, according to his profile page.

Ma’s return to teaching comes as he retreats further from his business empire following a crackdown by Beijing. Last year, he angered Chinese regulators with a speech in Shanghai that criticized their policies. Days later, the authorities halted the IPO of his Ant Group, which was set to be the biggest in history. They also slapped a record fine of $2.8 billion on Alibaba for violating antitrust rules.

Since that time, Ma has chosen to maintain a low public presence and has reportedly dedicated more of his time to international travel. He has been seen in various locations such as Hong Kong, Spain, and Japan, where he shares a friendship with SoftBank CEO Masa Son, who made investments in Alibaba.

Ma’s whereabouts have attracted a lot of attention as he was seen as a symbol of China’s entrepreneurial spirit and confidence. In March, he returned to mainland China to support a major restructuring plan by Alibaba, which split the company into six separate units. Analysts said his return was probably a “planned media event” by Beijing to calm down the private sector fears.

As CNN reports, Ma's venture into teaching coincides with China's increasing reliance on the private sector to stimulate growth and generate employment opportunities. The nation's economic recovery is experiencing a slowdown, as demonstrated by disappointing figures in retail sales and industrial production last month.

China's prominent leaders, such as President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang, have made efforts to provide reassurance to investors and entrepreneurs, emphasizing the safety of investing in China once more. Additionally, they have extended a warm welcome to foreign businesses, demonstrating a favorable environment for their operations.