On June 7, 2016, International Meeting on Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education was inaugurated at Kylin Villa in Shenzhen. The meeting was co-hosted by UNESCO, SUSTech and the People’s Government of Shenzhen Municipality as well as other organizations. Experts from UNESCO, institutes of higher learning, research institutions, government departments and enterprises along with participants from all walks of life gathered to discuss innovation and entrepreneurship education.

To deepen the reform of innovation and entrepreneurship education, as an important move to the comprehensive reform of higher education, has become the strategic choice of the nation’s development and the core driving force of state economic development.

As the first city-level Independent Innovation Demonstration Zone, Shenzhen is making arduous efforts to shape itself as a highland of innovative development through promoting innovation and entrepreneurship education. With “Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education: A Joint Endeavour of the Government, Universities and the Society” as its theme, the meeting organized in-depth discussions on special topics including Education 2030 Framework for Action: ICT Support and Innovation, Frontier Exploration on Cultivating Innovative Talents, Innovation Education and Management Mechanism of Institutes of Higher Learning, and Vocational Education: Concept Transformation and Quality Improvement.

Attendees include Peter Wells, Director of Higher Education Department of UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning, Li Ming, Director of the UNESCO Innovation Center for Higher Education, Wu Chuanyue, Vice President of SUSTech, Freddy Boey, Provost of Nanyang Technological University, Li Qingquan, President of Shenzhen University, Alexander Khoroshilov, Director of Center for Information Technologies in Education of Moscow, Liu Hongyi, President of Shenzhen Polytechnic, Ma Huateng, CEO of Tencent Inc., and other experts from around the world.

Prof. Wang Libing

The opening ceremony was hosted by Prof. Wang Libing, Director of Education Innovation and Skills Development Department of UNESCO Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education. Prof. Wang thanked SUSTech and UNESCO Center for Higher Education and Innovation for their tireless efforts and fruitful work. Xu Jianling, Deputy Director of Shenzhen Education Bureau, addressed the meeting, extending congratulations on its opening and giving cordial welcome to all the participants.

Xu Jianling, Deputy Director of Shenzhen Education Bureau

Many experts in higher-education, scholars and entrepreneurs delivered keynote speeches at the opening ceremony.

【Wu Chuanyue: Promoting Education of Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship and Establishing World-class Research-oriented University】

In his speech titled Promoting Education of Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship and Establishing World-class Research-oriented University, Wu Chuanyue mentioned that the UNESCO Innovation Center for Higher Education was established in Shenzhen with the great support of SUSTech. SUSTech will promote an education featuring research, innovation and entrepreneurship, and take the construction of disciplines as its growth point. He also said that the university should boost innovation through a creative mechanism and hence help Shenzhen develop into an innovative city.

【Ma Huateng: From Shenzhen to the World: Innovation Ecology in the Internet Plus Age】

Ma Huateng stated in his speech From Shenzhen to the World: Innovation Ecology in the Internet Plus Age that innovation is the driving force of Shenzhen’s development, and also the engine of Tencent. Tencent benefits a lot from the unique innovation ecology of Shenzhen and the coordinated innovation mechanism combining the government, enterprises and universities, in which the leadership of the government serves as a guide.

Tencent will join in promoting a more comprehensive, coordinated and forward-looking innovation ecology in three aspects.

Firstly, in order to promote industry-university-research cooperation, Tencent and China Computer Federation jointly established a fund for young scholars. Over 500 outstanding scholars have applied for the fund in the past three years. With its help, more than 100 research findings were granted patents. Many of those findings have been tested in Tencent’s industry platform and applied to commercial use.

Secondly, Tencent is supporting the entrepreneurship of undergraduates. It has established 19 entrepreneurship clubs in China, aiming to encourage students to design projects or Internet products independently. Tencent also organizes activities like large competitions, which influence millions of students every year. Prize-winning projects can also receive financial support from Tencent.

Thirdly, Tencent is exploring online education with its advantage in the Internet industry. A large number of students in Shenzhen University are using QQ and WeChat to sign up courses, chat in groups, top up and pay bills.

Moreover, with its well-developed audio and video technology, Tencent provides a platform for convenient online education and job training services, which are in line with lifelong learning encouraged by UN. Ma Huateng made it clear that Tencent is looking forward to creating an innovative education platform together with the city government and its universities.

【Freddy Boey: Global University Innovation and Entrepreneurship from the Perspective of Nanyang Technological University】

During the conference, Mei Yanchang, Vice President of Nanyang Technological University of Singapore, delivered a speech named Global University Innovation and Entrepreneurship from the Perspective of Nanyang Technological University. He pointed out that universities should explore more possibilities of entrepreneurship by giving more freedom of mechanism to stuff and students and encouraging them to commercialize research findings. At the same time, universities are responsible for developing more effective methods in giving online courses.

【Li Qingquan: the Exploration and Practice of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education in Shenzhen University】

Li Qingquan, President of Shenzhen University, mentioned in his keynote speech The Exploration and Practice of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education in Shenzhen University that innovation and entrepreneurship is the “gene” of Shenzhen University. Guided by the vision of “cultivating high-quality talents of innovation and entrepreneurship to lead social progress and development”, Shenzhen University will make efforts to realize “four changes” through intensifying the reform of innovation and entrepreneurship education so as to build an upgrade innovation and entrepreneurship education. 

【Alexander Khoroshilov：ICT and Innovative Pedagogy of Higher Education：UNESCO IITE Approach and Experience】

Alexander Khoroshilov, Director of Education Information Technology Center in Moscow mentioned in his keynote speech ICT and Innovative Pedagogy of Higher Education: UNESCO IITE Approach and Experience that ICT has remodeled education sector, and that individualized learning will represent a crucial trend in future education.

【Liu Hongyi: Syetem Design and Comprehensive Reform–Exploration and Practice of the Cultivation of Innovative and Entrepreneurial Talents】

Liu Hongyi, President of Shenzhen Polytechnic, pointed out in his keynote speech System Design and Comprehensive Reform–Exploration and Practice of the Cultivation of Innovative and Entrepreneurial Talents that Shenzhen Polytechnic has found out a way of “cultivating talents through culture in a comprehensive and coordinated manner”. By introducing new education concept, reforming training mode, building a practice forum and promoting market operation, Shenzhen Polytechnic is steadily exploring a practical and profession-oriented education mode.

【Peter Wells: ICTs + Higher Education and Lifelong Learning: Future proofing = Future Visioning】

Peter Wells, Chief of Higher Education Section of the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning, pointed out in his keynote speech ICTs + Higher Education and Lifelong Learning: Future proofing = Future Visioning that based on new technologies like ICE, future education would become open, lifelong and international. With the help of new technologies like AR, the education sector will perhaps be the forefront of the next great transformation.

This meeting is an important part of cooperation on higher education based on the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the municipal government of Shenzhen and UNESCO. The convening of this meeting will give a full play to Shenzhen in promoting the all-round Sino-UNESCO cooperation and pushing forward the progress of international cultural and educational undertakings. Meanwhile, it will help Shenzhen pool more quality educational resources to upgrade overall quality of education in the city and accelerate the development of education by leap and bounds.

According to the agenda, a number of forums will be held during the two-day meeting, in which a profound discussion will be carried out revolving around innovation and entrepreneurship education.