China Daily ——Learning aboutinnovation and entrepreneurship
By Wu Yong ( China Daily )
Updated: 2017-06-14 07:14:35
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As his classmates are busy dating orstaying up for final exams, Li Qiucheng, who is doing an elective course, isdeveloping a virtual reality device with partners from different majors withthe help of top industry experts.
The 24-year-old industrial engineeringgraduate student from Tsinghua University is working on a VR glove calledMastery to improve the current VR experience.
"This course is only two credits,accounting for only one-12th of the total credits. But it is one of the mostimpressive courses I have done in my 18 years of study," says Li.
The elective course Li is taking -Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Silicon Valley Insights - was launched in 2013by Tsinghua University's x-lab, a university-based platform designed to fosterstudent innovation and entrepreneurship.
Nearly 200 students from 21 countries in 50teams are involved in startup projects that include a VR device andhealth-monitoring equipment, according to x-lab.
"I hope this course acts as a spark toignite students' interest in innovation and entrepreneurship," says LiJizhen, an associate professor from the School of Economics and Management atTsinghua University.
With China's economy growing, universitiesare trying to provide better facilities for students.
Chen Jining, the former president ofTsinghua University, says that "without innovation, there can be notransformation".
Students should start from China but alsolook to the world to address bigger challenges.
The university platform has so far providedtraining to more than 30,000 students and helped set up over 1,000 enterprises,besides helping to raise nearly 300 million yuan ($43.75 million).
Meanwhile, in order to help Li and hisclassmates, x-lab has invited industry experts and fund managers to givelectures and share their experience in innovation and entrepreneurship.
Then, with a project-based learningapproach, students from different majors form teams and start their ownprojects.
Then, the teams are assigned mentors.
Michael Antonov, co-founder and chiefsoftware architect of Oculus VR, a leading company in the industry, was invitedto give lectures about social VR and shared his startup experience with thestudents, including Li Qiucheng.
"We had ideas before we took thecourse," says Li Qiucheng.
"But now we have set up the businessmodel and found like-minded friends, and are focused on our vision.
"This course helps us take the firstand most important step (toward innovation and entrepreneurship)."
wuyong@chinadaily.com.cn
