The 1st Annual Festival of the Entrepreneurial Elites Circle and the Award Ceremony of the 5th Zhejiang University Alumni Entrepreneurship Competition were Held

2019-12-09

On December 8, the 1st Annual Festival of the Entrepreneurial Elites Circle and the Award Ceremony of the 5th Zhejiang University Alumni Entrepreneurship Competition were held on the International Campus. For the first time, ZJU presented the results of the innovation and entrepreneurship of Zhejiang University alumni and the cultural roots behind their enterprise. This demonstrated the mission of ZJU alumni to focus on scientific and technological innovation, and brought into play the main theme of future innovation and entrepreneurship of ZJU alumni.

Mr Cheng Yuechong, Vice Governor of Zhejiang Province, and Professor Ren Shaobo Secretary of the Party Committee of Zhejiang University and Honorary President of the Alumni Association, gave speeches and issued boards to the those alumni enterprises listed in 2018 and 2019. Mr Zhang Bing, Secretary of the Haining Municipal Party Committee, delivered a speech. Ms Lian Xiaomin, Vice President of the Zhejiang Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, Mr Ao Kaoquan, Secretary-general of the Jiaxing Municipal Party Committee, and Mr Zhu Jianjun, Secretary of the Haining Municipal Party Committee, attended the Ceremony. Professor Luo Weidong, Vice President of Zhejiang University and Executive Vice President of the Alumni Association, chaired the meeting. Leaders and guests in attendance presented awards to the winning projects in the final of the 5th Zhejiang University Alumni Entrepreneurship Competition.

Professor Ren said that the development of Zhejiang University and ZJUers go hand in hand, highly integrated and complementary. Concurrrent with ZJU’s rapid development, Zhejiang University alumni are active at various levels of the economic sector, especially in the field of innovation and entrepreneurship. Being a ZJUer is also the “gold card” that gives entry to all social circles. He set out new expectations for alumni from four perspectives. Firstly, to further take root in the local regions and to innovate and do business to serve the major strategic needs of our country. Secondly, in future to expand innovation and entrepreneurship worldwide. Thirdly, to innovate in symbiosis with the alma mater. Fourthly, to further promote the spirit of seeking truth, and unite the struggle for innovation and entrepreneurship with a common spiritual culture. He said that the university will do its best to encourage and support the alumni in maintaining connections, network sharing, mission sharing, and career creation and, as always, to build a platform for alumni innovation and entrepreneurship, and work together to realize our dreams.

Mr Zhang said that Zhejiang University is a world class university with world-renowned talents. For a long time, ZJU has provided strong support for the development of Jiaxing. The two sides have carried out practical and effective cooperative activities and achieved fruitful results. He hoped that both sides will uphold the duty to our country, continue the spirit of innovation, and jointly enlarge and strengthen the International Campus, ZJU, to create a model of international education cooperation. He expressed his opinion that the two sides should jointly expand high-quality cooperation and better serve national strategies. He sincerely invited Zhejiang University alumni and talents from all fields to focus more attention on Jiaxing, to create a new chapter in its development, and to build a better future with the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta.

The guests and alumni jointly started to establish the Zhejiang University Science and Technology Enterprise Alumni Association, presented awards to individuals and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to the contest, and issued thank you cards to the supporting departments.

Meanwhile, Professor Ye Zhizhen, Academician of the School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Professor Wu Xiaobo, Director of the Department of Social Sciences, Zhejiang University, and the alumnus, Mr Fang Yi, Chairman and General Manager of Zhejiang Daily Interactive Network Technology Co., Ltd, delivered keynote speeches to share their understanding of innovation and entrepreneurship. At the subsequent round table forum, the participants held discussions and sparked ideas off one another.

A forum for entrepreneurs and alumni was also held during this event. Leaders of ZJU and more than 30 alumni exchanged views on further promoting ZJU’s “Double First-class” initiative and building a university-alumni development community.

The Zhejiang University Alumni Entrepreneurship Competition was initiated by the Zhejiang University Alumni Association nine years ago. To date, financing has exceeded 10 billion yuan, and the project valuation has exceeded 250 billion yuan. It has become a brand event that has attracted the attention of Zhejiang University alumni and wider society. The competition this year has opened up an international track, attracting more than 500 projects, over 100 well-known venture capital institutions, more than 100 entrepreneurs as mentors, and support from multiple local governments. Zhejiang University Alumni Innovation and Entrepreneurship Achievements Exhibition was also set up, which gathered hundreds of high-quality projects covering cutting-edge technologies such as information technology, semiconductors, advanced manufacturing, biomedicine, etc., and concentrated on the scientific and technological innovation of Zhejiang University entrepreneurs.

Representatives of entrepreneurs and alumni of listed companies, judges and participating representatives of the Alumni Entrepreneurship Contest, representatives of local governments and sister colleges, entrepreneurs and investors who are concerned about innovation and entrepreneurship, as well as representatives from various colleges (departments) of Zhejiang University, relevant departments, and local alumni associations participated in the above activities.