From October 29 to November 2, the 14th "Challenge Cup" QinChuangYuan Platform National College Students’ Entrepreneurship Competition was held at Xi'an Jiaotong University. Following university preliminary contest and provincial-level intermediary selection rounds, 839 projects from 412 domestic and 14 international universities entered the national finals. NEU achieved remarkable success, winning 2 gold, 4 silver, and 2 bronze awards (including 1 silver and 1 bronze in special categories), securing sixth place in total points and winning the "Excellence Cup" for the third consecutive time, achieving a record high in this competition.
NEU's Innovation and Entrepreneurship Academy has consistently focused on the fundamental mission of fostering virtue through education, aiming to nurture top talent through a “five-in-one” educational approach, and actively guiding the students to devote themselves to scientific and technological innovation. In January 2024, the university launched its internal selection round for the "Challenge Cup" Entrepreneurship Competition, triggering high-quality, steady progress across various activities. This included hosting two competition briefings, selecting and nurturing ten "Golden Seed Projects", and conducting over twenty project training sessions through the "Training Camp". These efforts have fostered a culture that promotes learning, teaching, creation, and innovation through competition.
The "Challenge Cup" series, known as the "Olympics" of technological innovation and entrepreneurship for Chinese college students, is co-organized by the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the China Association for Science and Technology, the All-China Students' Federation, and local provincial governments. It is one of the most influential national competitions for college students, recognized for its authority, representativeness, and guiding role. The series includes the "Challenge Cup" National College Student Extracurricular Academic and Technological Works Competition (commonly called "Big Challenge") and the "Challenge Cup" National College Students’ Entrepreneurship Competition ("Small Challenge"). The "Challenge Cup" National College Students’ Entrepreneurship Competition began in 1999 and has been held biennially for 14 times, establishing itself as one of the most prestigious national entrepreneurial events for college students. Awards are based on cumulative points, with the highest-scoring university receiving the "Challenge Cup" and other top-performing institutions awarded the "Excellence Cup". This year, the competition awarded 280 gold, 559 silver, and 1,559 bronze projects (including 100 gold, 200 silver, and 300 bronze in special categories).
