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University's X-Lab program offers platform for cultivating imagination
Tsinghua University, one of the most prestigious universities in China, is pushing ahead to create a vibrant atmosphere for Chinese youths to realize their potential with a platform for student entrepreneurs to meet investors, mentors and team members.
The school launched its X-Lab program in 2013, an innovative interdisciplinary educational platform that aims to cultivate talent for entrepreneurship and innovation.
Qian Yingyi, dean of the School of Economics and Management at Tsinghua, described X-Lab as an innovation in higher education.
"We need a platform like X-Lab to cultivate students' curiosity, imagination, creativity and entrepreneurial leadership," Qian said.
"Today's entrepreneurs are no longer company executives who manage the enterprise, which was Tsinghua's strength before. They are the founders who start a company," said Chen Jining, Tsinghua's president, adding that entrepreneurship education goes beyond the old model.
He believes that an increasing number of future leaders will come from among entrepreneurs.
"They will become the core force of society, which is a trend in social development," Chen said, adding that the school will increase investment to support student entrepreneurs.
Wang Hao, a Tsinghua graduate, started his company dealing with medical appliance design in 2011. "Becoming an entrepreneur in China, especially for new graduates, is a tough decision," the 26-year-old said. A basic introduction to entrepreneurship in Chinese universities is necessary, he said.
"Students lack a basic understanding of entrepreneurship, which has been considered unstable, risky and very difficult. But it is not. Starting a business is like a regular job, a job you really enjoy, "Wang said.
Deng Yongqiang, general manager of Qidihoude Co, a technical and media incubator of Tsinghua's new ideas, said the university has been working on cultivating students' entrepreneurship ability and awareness for years.
Deng said an essential part of entrepreneurship education in college is to avoid indulging in "empty talk".
"It will be huge progress to have required entrepreneurship courses at colleges," he said. The school's entrepreneurship atmosphere has expanded to nearby communities. Zhongguancun, as a hub for high-tech startups, is widely considered China's Silicon Valley.
"We are nurturing an entrepreneurship culture, partnering with nearby universities such as Tsinghua and Peking University," said Guo Hong, director of the Administrative Committee of Zhongguancun Science and Technology Park.
He also said that universities have become a hotbed for entrepreneurs with interdisciplinary knowledge and alumni networking.
The school-incubator model has become a significant platform to boost entrepreneurship.
Innovation competitions also boost student entrepreneurship.
The Enactus World Cup, a global business-model competition, held its 2014 finals in Beijing in October. More than 4,000 university students, 183 mentors and 749 company executives participated in the finals.
Senior lecturer Vicki West from the McCoy College of Business Administration at the university guided the US team to join the competition. She has witnessed more technology projects.
As a mentor to encourage student innovation for years, she believed entrepreneurship competitions could help students use projects and teams as an incubator for innovative ideas to help them become business realities.
"Championships like Enactus encourage students to work on their ideas and turn innovative dreams into reality," she said.
The government has also been encouraging more student entrepreneurship.
The Ministry of Education released a regulation in 2012 that requires universities to start teaching basic courses on entrepreneurship to undergraduates to encourage students to start businesses and become self-employed after graduation.
luowangshu@chinadaily.com.cn
