Aerial view of Nanpu Bridge and Huangpu River in Shanghai Photo: VCG

"Many people ask me, coming from Morocco, then to France, and finally to China, how I define myself here." In an interview with the Global Times, Hamza Boukili, who holds dual Moroccan and French citizenship, raised this very question. 

In his view, the answer is very clear: "In China, I am a university teacher and an AI startup founder. These two identities are coherent and allow me to see life in a very interesting perspective."

In 2016, Boukili went to Tongji University through an exchange program, marking his first trip to China. "I remember very clearly that after being in Tongji for two weeks, I  had this strong and clear feeling to say that this place really deserves it." 

By the end of his exchange period, he had two clear ideas in mind: "One of them, I had to learn Chinese. Second, I would be there looking for an good opportunity to come back to Shanghai. And here I am."

Today, Boukili holds a "dual identity." He is a faculty member in Applied Mathematics Paris Elite Institute of Technology, Shanghai Jiaotong University, and the founder of Shanghai Yunsuan Tech company.

Boukili said that at first he simply wanted to focus on fulfilling his teaching duties. But in his fourth year at the institute, he began to think about how to make better and more interesting use of his time, and his involvement in some AI-related work gradually changed his thinking.

"Gradually, I realized that AI is becoming really a technical revolution that is going to shape differently our modern times," Boukili told the Global Times that the idea of starting his own AI startup emerged. He decided to establish a company focused on applying AI algorithms to energy optimization.

"If you are going to do such a product today without talking about AI, I think it's a big mistake."

Hamza Boukili Photo: Courtesy of Hamza Boukili

Being in Shanghai has given Boukili broad room for innovation as he seeks to make his mark amid the rapid rise of AI. 

"It is a highly competitive market, but competition makes the market dynamic. It makes the market very rich of opportunities. I think we have a very large future development space and potential," he said. 

He further explained with the Global Times in detail: "In terms of national policies, energy optimization is something to gain more and more momentum in the future.  Another aspect is the fact that China in general is gaining momentum in terms of artificial intelligence, which translates to a lot of encouragement polices in terms of fundraising, incubator, access to computing servers, and access to qualified talents."

Boukili received China's "green card" in late 2023. "Proud of being able to say that I belong more and more to Shanghai." 

Asked what he would like to say to friends outside China, he said: "If I have a message to say today to our friends outside China, I really encourage you to take time to update. This place moves quickly. Its quick up to a level that will not finish surprising actually." 

In his view, keeping an open mind can be a very rewarding experience: "Just try to learn as much as possible. China has some very strong points that we don't have as outsiders."