01 Aug 2024
On 2 August, XJTLU Entrepreneur College (Taicang) celebrate the graduation of the first cohort of 124 Master's students from the MSc Entrepreneurship and Innovation programme. These graduates come from diverse professional backgrounds, each bringing unique stories and dreams, infusing the programme with vibrant diversity. As they embark on their respective journeys, their career paths span across entrepreneurship, corporate innovation departments, research institutions, and international organizations, showcasing a broad adaptability and profound capability.
The establishment of the MSc Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme responds to the global economy's increasing demand for innovation and entrepreneurial leadership. Amid rapid technological advancements and changing market dynamics, the programme recognizes the importance of nurturing leaders who can innovate across disciplines and drive societal progress. It adheres to a practical, project-based learning philosophy through Syntegrative projects, seamlessly integrating cutting-edge science and technology, social sciences, and business disciplines to provide students with a platform to tackle societal challenges and real-world industry problems.
Now, as the first batch of graduates is ready to spread their wings, their destinations are as varied as the stars, reaching across different fields. Their actions vividly embody the perfect fusion of innovative spirit and practical achievements.
From Campus to Market: Deepening the Journey of Entrepreneurial Dreams:
Many explorers experience a transition from academic halls to the commercial battlefield on the journey of entrepreneurship and innovation. Some, like graduate Mr. Guang Yang, choose to return to academia to strengthen their skills further, hoping to go further on the entrepreneurial path. Guang Yang's story is a remarkable journey from practice to theory and then back to practice.
From employment to entrepreneurship, from initial success to returning to campus, Guang’s decision was undoubtedly a brave attempt at "reinvention." In 2020, with sharp insight, he seized the opportunity of the live-streaming trend and made a minor fortune in the clothing industry. However, just as his career was gaining momentum, in 2022, he made an unexpected decision—to return to university for further studies. This might seem puzzling to outsiders, but for Guang, it was a wise choice to break the boundaries of thought and seek new opportunities for personal growth in a broader academic environment.
At XJTLU Entrepreneur College (Taicang), Guang began a new journey in the MSc Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Leveraging his entrepreneurial experience and the college's resources and platform, he focused on commercial directions during his first year. With the support of his entrepreneurial background and the college's resources, he paved a broad road for his sports glasses entrepreneurship project along the "Belt and Road." He candidly shared that the two years at the college provided new directions for his future development and solidified his entrepreneurial dreams.
Innovation Leap on the Shoulders of Technology and Industry
The challenges are obvious, from generating creative ideas to implementing entrepreneurial projects. The MSc Entrepreneurship and Innovation programme is designed as a bridge for students with some background in technology and related industries. Through two years of project-based learning and a variety of practical workshops, students continuously refine their innovative and entrepreneurial thinking, helping them achieve qualitative leaps in their career development or entrepreneurial paths.
Dr. Shu-Hsiang (Ava) Chen, Associate Professor at the Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Hub, Programme Director of MSc Entrepreneurship and Innovation programme shared, "Students not only absorb cutting-edge innovation concepts through theoretical lectures but also create their own entrepreneurial projects in practical workshops, and they have opportunities to interact face-to-face with industry experts, gaining valuable industry insights and skills." This unique learning and teaching method is nurturing outstanding student entrepreneurial teams like "A single spark" and DataPulse, who, driven by innovative entrepreneurial spirit, are opening new chapters in their careers with their understanding of the industry and mastery of technology.
Ms. Bihan Dong, the founder of the "A single spark" project, is a prime example of this learning and teaching method. As a Master's graduate in MSc Entrepreneurship and Innovation programme, Bihan has rich experience in special children research. However, her entrepreneurial inspiration did not come overnight but gradually formed under the college's influence and mentor' inspiration. The college provided her with a platform to grasp innovation trends and skills through project-based learning and extracurricular activities. Under the guidance of her mentors, Bihan explored how to combine her professional knowledge with social needs. Eventually, she founded the "A single spark" project, which teaches intangible cultural heritage to special groups, enhancing their employability and successfully partnering with local merchants and government agencies to promote local intangible cultural heritage. The success of this project fully demonstrates the significant role the school plays in the entrepreneurial process of students.
Another notable entrepreneurial team is DataPulse, whose project involves developing a plugin for Amazon cross-border e-commerce product selection. This team is a typical example of the integration of technology and business, with members having diverse backgrounds and study directions, including technology transfer, financial technology, and creative technology. Utilizing their cross-disciplinary knowledge, they developed an innovative product that combines technology and business. This plugin not only performs common functions like data collection, cost calculation, and historical data modeling of products but also addresses specific challenges faced by small and medium-sized sellers in finding supply chains, product selection, and competitive data research in specific categories. They offer features such as low-latency, high-accuracy product image and supply chain matching search, sales trend analysis, keyword categorization, and competitive analysis. Additionally, by studying user consumption data and product historical data, they developed a comprehensive product evaluation model for specific categories, providing decision-making references for sellers.
Outstanding Achievements in Practice: Successful Cases of University-Enterprise Cooperation
Practical projects are a core element in developing students' skills and professional qualities, with the second-year practical projects being particularly critical. During this year, students fully engage in enterprise practice, participating in real business projects. This process allows students to apply their knowledge, significantly enhancing their ability to solve real-world problems and improving their professionalism and soft skills. These experiences provide a solid foundation for entering the workforce, significantly shortening the transition period from school to workplace. The university has established close relationships with numerous leading enterprises, providing students with a wide range of practical opportunities. These enterprises not only offer platforms for project execution but also actively participate in the project design and implementation process, providing professional guidance and resource support to students.
For Ms. Xuerui Ma, a 2022 Master's student in the MSc Entrepreneurship and Innovation, the practical experience at the Agricultural Development Bank of China was an invaluable exercise. During the entire year of practical projects in her second year, she was actively involved in the bank's daily operations and management and had the opportunity to participate in one of the most crucial tasks of the business department each quarter—project selection. This experience allowed Xuerui to thoroughly understand the operational models of the bank and the corporate circular economy business.
Xuerui shared, "Although as an intern I cannot participate in the entire project selection process, I still wanted to hone my skills and share my judgments and ideas with the team. So, after completing my daily tasks, I used my free time to conduct a comprehensive SWOT analysis of the two shortlisted projects and submitted it to the supervisor."
Fortunately, Xuerui's efforts were not overlooked but rather earned her a valuable opportunity to present at the Digital Economy Reform and Development Conference attended by various banks in Jinan, Shandong Province. "This was not only recognition of my professional work by the enterprise but also a crucial step in translating knowledge into practice. I spent a week updating and comparing the value chain, keeping up with policy and environmental changes, and promptly adjusting business strategies, which further refined my report." Xuerui vividly remembered with great excitement..
The journey of the first cohort of Master's graduates in MSc Entrepreneurship and Innovation programme is a vivid illustration of the fusion of innovative spirit and practical achievements. With diverse backgrounds, interests, and dreams, they transition from campus to market, embodying the essence of innovation and entrepreneurship through their actions. Whether it's Mr. Guang Yang's journey of reinvention, Ms. Bihan Dong's "A single spark" project, or DataPulse's technological breakthroughs, all showcase the significant role of XJTLU Entrepreneur College (Taicang) in the students' innovation and entrepreneurship process. The practical projects in university-enterprise cooperation provide a broad stage for students, helping them shine in their respective fields and write new chapters in their lives.
Message from the Programme Director
Dear Graduates,
As the Program Director of the MSc Entrepreneurship and Innovation program, I extend my heartfelt congratulations and best wishes. You have showcased exceptional talent and unwavering determination throughout this journey filled with challenges and opportunities. As you embark on your new path, high hopes accompany you, and encouragement is abundant to keep moving forward.
May you keenly identify market opportunities and develop competitive, innovative products or services. Embrace risks, challenge traditions, and face failures without fear, adapting flexibly in a complex and changing environment. With a global perspective, formulate and implement effective business strategies to achieve sustainable development for your enterprises.
Demonstrate excellent leadership within your teams, inspiring and guiding members to achieve corporate goals together. While pursuing business success, remember your social responsibilities and actively contribute to societal progress.
Maintain a lifelong learning attitude, constantly updating your knowledge and skills to keep pace with industry trends. Apply theoretical knowledge to practical work, validating and refining your entrepreneurial ideas through practice. Actively expand your network, collaborate with elite professionals from various fields, and share resources and information to drive the success of entrepreneurial projects. Continuously reflect on your experiences, summarize lessons learned, and improve continuously, achieving growth for both yourself and your business. Carry your passion and enthusiasm for entrepreneurship, pursue your dreams courageously, and draw strength from every setback to meet new challenges.
Every step of your growth fills us with immense pride. May you navigate your future careers successfully, achieving even more remarkable accomplishments. Your wisdom and courage will bring about beautiful changes to the world.
Wishing you all the best in your future endeavours and great success in your careers!
Best Wishes,
Dr. Shu-Hsiang (Ava) Chen Program Director, MSc Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program
01 Aug 2024