On October 12-15, 2024, the China International College Students’ Innovation Competition 2024 was held at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, co-hosted by the Ministry of Education and 12 other ministries along with the Shanghai municipal government. A significant highlight of the event was the establishment of the World College Students’ Innovation Alliance, initiated by Tianjin University and Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

During the inauguration ceremony, the World College Students’ Innovation Index Report was unveiled, featuring a keynote speech by Wu Yan, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Education. The first annual meeting of the Alliance was convened on October 15, led by Yin Haitao, Director of the International Affairs Division at Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

Ma Xinbin, Vice President of Tianjin University, represented the institution at the ceremony and delivered a speech at the annual meeting. He emphasized the Alliance's commitment to the principles of "openness, cooperation, sharing, mutual promotion, and integration." The meeting included two round-table discussions focused on "Global University Student Innovation Development" and "Expectations and Development of the Alliance." Participants included representatives from 11 universities, such as Zhejiang University and the University of Adelaide, who shared insights on the current demands and strategies for innovation education and talent development. The goal is to consolidate resources from businesses, investment institutions, and industrial parks to provide reliable support for the transformation of university students' innovative achievements.

In his address, Ma Xinbin welcomed leaders, faculty, students, and industry representatives attending the conference and expressed gratitude for their support in establishing the Alliance. As a founding member, he highlighted the demand for the Alliance to serve as a bridge for fostering communication and cooperation in innovation and entrepreneurship among young university students worldwide. He called for advancing innovation and entrepreneurship education through broader and deeper international collaboration.

Ma Xinbin also outlined Tianjin University's initiatives in innovation and entrepreneurship education. The university is working to create a unique innovation education ecosystem, implementing a "funnel" curriculum system that guides students from talent discovery to empowerment, acceleration, and entrepreneurship. Tianjin University aims for 100% of its students to engage with an innovative and entrepreneurial environment, 10% to take relevant courses, 5% to receive mentorship, and 1% to launch their own ventures after graduation.

Following the conference's call to action, 56 universities from 19 countries and regions across five continents, including 30 overseas institutions, and 21 enterprises have accepted invitations to join the Alliance, marking a significant step in fostering global collaboration in innovation education.

By: Qin Mian