IBSS Students Gain Industry Experience at KONE

On 23 April, Dr Liang Wen and Ms Yahong Cai from the International Business School Suzhou (IBSS) led a group of 28 students on a fascinating visit to KONE Elevator’s Kunshan headquarters. This insightful industry tour was designed to provide students with a practical understanding of the latest trends and innovations shaping the elevator sector, while also strengthening their professional capabilities and career competitiveness.

IBSS students at KONE Elevator’s Kunshan HQ

Upon arrival, the group received a warm welcome from Leo Liu, Senior Product Manager at KONE and a proud XJTLU alumnus. Leo’s insightful introduction, sharing his career journey and experiences in the elevator industry, resonated with the students and fostered an immediate sense of connection. Leo then guided the group through the escalator factory, where students observed the full production process in action. From raw material procurement and component processing to final assembly and debugging, each stage showcased KONE’s commitment to precision, quality control and technical excellence.

Following the factory tour, the group moved to KONE’s exhibition hall, where they were welcomed by Shanne Wu, Manager of Supply Chain Management. Shanne shared the story of KONE’s development, from its humble beginnings to becoming a globally recognised brand. Shanne explained how the company has adapted to changes in the global market by moving away from traditional staff hierarchies and adopting more flexible, cross-departmental ways of working. This shift, along with a strong focus on data-driven decision making, has helped KONE speed up innovation and improve how it responds to customers around the world.

The highlight of the visit came with a tour of KONE’s impressive test tower. Under the guidance of Robert Liu, Bidding Manager, students experienced a ride in a specialised “jump lift” – a high-speed elevator designed for dynamic testing. This elevator rapidly ascended and descended, allowing the students to experience various states of elevator operation. Upon reaching the top of the test tower, the students enjoyed panoramic views of Kunshan’s skyline.

Reflecting on the visit, our students said they were inspired by the openness of the KONE team and impressed by the company's culture of continuous improvement and innovation. They left with a better understanding not just of the elevator industry, but also of how global companies operate, adapt and succeed. It also gave them a valuable insight into the types of roles they might pursue after graduation.
At IBSS, experiential learning opportunities like this are part of our commitment to student success. To discover how our Work Placement, Employability and Career Development (WEC) team supports students in building career resilience and gaining practical skills, visit the IBSS WEC Team page.