By CGTN’s Liu Yang
Experts from around the world have joined officials and businessmen to discuss innovation in education, and how China can work with other countries to combine ideas and methods on learning and teaching.
The 2017 China (Chengdu) Global Innovation and Entrepreneurship Fair opened Wednesday in Chengdu, southwest China’s Sichuan Province. One of the major sessions of the three-day fair is the 2017 Summit of Elite Universities & the Presidents’ Forum, which was held on Wednesday.
The forum attracted education experts, government officials and entrepreneurs to join discussions on themes like “Internet+ University Entrepreneurial and Innovative Education” and “the Construction of University Entrepreneurship and innovation.”
2017 Chengdu Global Innovation and Entrepreneurship Summit of Elite Universities & the Presidents’ Forum kicked off in Chengdu on May 10, 2017. /CGTN Photo
John Howkins, the Chairman of Howkins & Associates, a consultancy on innovation, says more partnerships in the field of innovation and creativity will be seen in the near future. According to Howkins, China is doing a great job on boosting innovation through all sectors such as high tech industries, film, and culture.
Yao Wang, the Executive Director of the Boao Forum for Asia, said international exchange programs for students and teachers will increase collaborations among universities and colleges across the world.
Many young people are very interested in learning Chinese, said Yao, but they don’t know much about China. Through exchange programs, Yao expressed his belief that students will gain a better understanding of Chinese culture, politics and its economy among other fields.
Mark A. Pagano, the Chancellor of University of Washington in Tacoma in the United States, emphasized the importance of attending such forums in China. He said that joining discussions on innovative methods will help more students and teachers and promote more effective learning, teaching and management methods.
Attendees of the 2017 Chengdu Global Innovation and Entrepreneurship Summit of Elite Universities & the Presidents’ Forum. /CGTN Photo
The summit has been held annually over the last two years, and has gained great support from the Ministry of Education and The Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education Alliance of China.
In recent years, the Chinese government has been encouraging mass entrepreneurship and innovation, with many college students given support to pursue innovation and start up their own businesses.
A survey released by China’s Renmin University in 2016 showed that more than 120,000 college students are running their own businesses or have had a related experience, accounting for 28 percent of respondents. Only 10 percent of people said they didn't want to start their own business.
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