The final of the “Gree Cup”, the 1st National College Innovation Competition of Industrial Engineering and Lean Management was held at Tianjin University. Tianjin University won a first prize for the “Lean Optimization and Improvement of Nursing Care Services Efficiency for Obstetric Ward in Public Hospitals” project, and two other entries won third prizes.

The competition aims to implement the requirements of “accelerating the building of a manufacturing power, the development of advanced manufacturing industries, and the construction of an innovative country”, and further promote the popularization and application of industrial engineering and lean management methods and technologies.

The competition was jointly sponsored by the Chinese Mechanical Engineering Society and the Industrial Engineering Teaching Steering Committee of the Ministry of Education; Gree Electric Appliances, Inc. of Zhuhai named it as the title sponsor; and the College of Management and Economics of Tianjin University held the final. The theme of the contest was: Taking industrial engineering and lean management as the main methods, and seeking truth from facts, to solve the problems encountered in development and innovation.

Since the start of the competition in April 2018, it has aroused a sensational level of interest in colleges and universities across the country. A total of 415 teams from 100 universities and colleges entered the competition, among whom, 34 teams entered the final and another 116 teams were awarded a Contest Excellence Award. On April 9, the final was held at the Tianjin University-Nankai University Joint Research Building on Weijin Road Campus. 34 teams from 27 colleges and universities displayed their work and gave excellent demonstrations in the field, and participated in-depth discussion and exchange on the issues raised by the panel of judges in the defense sessions.

On June 10, the award ceremony of this competition was held. Leaders of Tianjin University, Gree Electric Appliances, the FAW Group, FAW TOYOTA MOTOR Co. Ltd., the China Institute of Mechanical Engineering, the China Electronic Labor Institute, the Industrial Engineering Teaching Steering Committee of the Ministry of Education, and the Tianjin Science and Technology Commission attended the event.

At the award ceremony, Yuan Yingjin, Tianjin University, pointed out in the opening speech, “the current scale of China's advanced engineering education ranks first in the world, and at present, Tianjin University is systematically advancing “New Engineering” talent training reform, which is a strategic measure to serve the development of the country in a new era. The performance of the students in the competition fully reflected the excellent innovative designing ability, comprehensive designing ability and teamwork spirit.”

After the intense and orderly competition, 6 first prizes, 11 second prizes, and 17 third prizes in total were awarded.

Zhang Wei, Director of the College of Management and Economics of Tianjin University spoke on behalf of the final's organizer. He pointed out, “This innovation contest is of great significance. How to cultivate the innovative consciousness of college students, promote their creative abilities, and give full play to their creativity is an important task of China's higher education. The College of Management and Economics of TJU is actively promoting innovation and entrepreneurship education to serve the country's innovation-driven development strategy and truly provides wisdom, ideas and solutions for China's innovation and entrepreneurship education.”

Zhuang Pei, Vice President of Gree Electric Appliances, spoke on behalf of the competition's title sponsor. He stated, "Gree decided that all the 2019 graduate students who have the top three prizes can directly receive the Notice of Gree 2019 Campus Recruitment Admissions on the spot, and let their dreams fly and embrace the future together with Gree!”