‍Innovation is a catchy word, but is often easier said than done. Gao Xiqing, a Chang Yu-tung chair professor at the Law School of Tsinghua University, and an NPC deputy, is a key figure behind the social innovation program "Serve For China."  

The program sends some of the best young people from top universities to become the heads of Chinese villages, in order to bring changes. In our special interview series, "In My Opinion", senior reporter Tian Wei spoke to Professor Gao on the sidelines of the Two Sessions. He revealed the secrets to making things happen. ‍

In the early stages, youngsters joining this program were doing things by trial and error. Gao thought that was not efficient, so he gathered all the students and gave them a month of training. He also invited many people from major social networks, like Jack Ma, to pass on their experiences.  

Since all the volunteers were idealists or altruists, the major challenge for them was not the poor living conditions, but the loneliness weighing down on them. Without much education, the villagers could hardly understand them and the young graduates had nobody to talk to. To counter this, Gao decided to send two people to each village instead of one - to make them feel like a team working together. 

When asked how effective this program could be, Gao frankly said he didn't know. He said he didn't have unrealistic expectations, but believed that the world has always been changed by a small number of people, like Jesus Christ, Confucius and Chairman Mao Zedong. Even one percent of the whole population could make great progress for the entire society.