The 2022 Pudong Sci-tech Innovation Contest for Alumni from Universities Worldwide kicked off at the Pudong International Talent Hub in Shanghai’s Pudong New Area on July 22.

With the theme of “Gathering Global Talents, Creating the Future”, the contest opened to innovation and entrepreneurship projects created by alumni from universities worldwide. The aim of the contest is to attract the top talents to settle in Pudong and join hands with global talents to improve the area’s status as a source of sci-tech innovation and as a core area of an international sci-tech innovation center.

Under the guidance of the Pudong New Area Talent Office, the contest is organized by the Pudong New Area committee of Communist Youth League (CYL) and the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology’s CYL committee, managed by eight organizations including Laogang town and Zhangjiang Group, and supported by the Pudong New Area Committee of Science and Economics, the Shanghai Technology Entrepreneurship Foundation for Graduates and the Pudong Talent Market.

Select government leaders and experts attended the event’s launch ceremony.

Keynote speeches for a shared future

Qi Yuxia, deputy head of Pudong New Area Organization Department and deputy director of Pudong New Area Talent Office：

Pudong, a hot spot for innovation and entrepreneurship, is striving to build a leading area for international talent development, which will improve the level of local business incubation, sci-tech public services, investment and financing, and intellectual property platforms, lower the costs of innovation and entrepreneurship, and expand talent services sources. It is expected to attract high-quality innovation and entrepreneurship projects to settle in Pudong, bring together global talents and create a better future via the contest.

Li Xin, deputy head and chairman of the labor union of Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology:

I would like to express thanks to Pudong for including the aerospace sector in its construction of the core area of an international sci-tech innovation center, and including the aerospace sector in the contest to bring together global talents and promote the development of the aerospace industry. The Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology will give full support to young talented personnel in the aerospace industry. We hope that global university graduates and entrepreneurs will bear more fruits for scientific innovation and draw on each other’s strengths during the contest in Pudong. Also, it is expected that the academy will make more contributions to Pudong’s innovative development and talent growth as well as the country’s development of independent aerospace research and technology.

Ma Jun, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and deputy dean of the School of Environment of Harbin Institute of Technology:

After winning the COVID-19 battle, Shanghai continued its mission to develop into a socialist modern metropolis with a global influence. Focusing on top-quality talents, cutting-edge technology and high-quality projects, the contest is expected to bring together young talented personnel and top projects worldwide, promote the development of innovation and businesses in Pudong, and provide more fresh blood in Pudong.

Launch ceremony

Qi Yuxia, Li Xin, and select officials from the Alliance of Shanghai Alumni Associations of Global Universities announced the launch of the contest together at the ceremony.

Ceremony host

Gao Yuan, deputy secretary of the Pudong New Area committee of Communist Youth League, hosted the launch ceremony. He extended heartfelt thanks and a warm welcome to all the leaders, guests and global university alumni who support the contest. The Pudong committee will stick to its mission of educating young people for the Party, and try its best to build platforms for young people’s growth and development and make the city a dream place for younger generations.

How to apply

The contest is composed of four phases, including project collection and a first-round competition, second-round competition, final competition, and an awards ceremony. It will run from July to October. Alumni from universities worldwide are welcomed. Please scan the QR code to find out more about the event.

Introduction to four industrial tracks

Jiang Zhenyu, Party secretary of Laogang town, Lu Feng, general manager of Shanghai Chengtou Laogang Base, and Liang Chao, Party branch secretary of                          The Shanghai Association of City Appearance and Environmental Sanitation introduced the carbon neutral industrial track.

Yuan Tao, chairman of Zhangjiang Group, Wang Cong, deputy director of Zhangjiang Group Investment Attraction Service Center, and Yu Hongliang, general manager of Zhangjiang S&t Investment Corp introduced the life health industrial track.

He Dajun, general manager of Shanghai Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park Development Co, introduced the aerospace industrial track.

Du Shaoxiong, general manager of Shanghai Jinqiao Export Processing Zone Development Co, introduced the meta-universe industrial track.

Talents gathering in Pudong

Alumni associations of 10 famous universities including Zhejiang University, Nanjing University, Harbin Institute of Technology, Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Tianjin University, Chongqing University, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and the Taiwan Alumni Association in Shanghai agreed to settle in the Pudong International Talent Hub in the middle of July due to the influence of the contest. The hub’s influence on gathering alumni and the alumni economy is growing, and it plays a more significant role in developing Pudong into a talent highland.

The 11th Entrepreneurship in Pudong Round-table Forum

The Entrepreneurship in Pudong Round-table Forum, a brand event for younger people’s innovation and entrepreneurship in Pudong, has been held for a decade. This time, the event invited select alumni from universities at home and abroad to discuss how alumni associations can better serve sci-tech innovation. Let’s see what the guests had to say.

Wu Ning, co-director general of Alliance of Shanghai Alumni Associations of Global Universities and chairman of Improvinglife Biotechnology (Shanghai) Co:

Build a hub to gather alumni and make them a strong driving force for sci-tech innovation, unite forces of different universities to develop cutting-edge technology, and explore new cooperation to let doctoral students work as project managers at hi-tech companies.

Li Zhitian, director general of the Alliance of Shanghai Alumni Associations of Global Universities and president of Shanghai Fuxin Medical Technology Co:

The alumni association is a source of talents. It is effective to bring together talented personnel, discover high-quality scientific innovation projects and build a real sci-tech innovation eco-chain via the association.

Yu Ning, director of the Nanjing University Shanghai Alumni Association and investment director of Longwater Investment Management Co：

The alumni association can help top sci-tech teams choose reliable and resourceful investment institutions that are also interested in their projects, which will accelerate their technology transfer rate.

Zhang Bin, president of the Chongqing University Shanghai Alumni Association and executive president of Mingquan Group:

We will transform the knowledge and information resources of the alumni association into industrial and entrepreneurial resources so as to combine innovation, entrepreneurship and venture capital to better serve sci-tech innovation.

Huang Jialin, standing vice-president of the Taiwan Alumni Association in Shanghai and founder of Baqian Entrepreneurship Empowerment Service Co:

Build an institutionalized interactive platform and an innovative and entrepreneurial ecosphere in Shanghai that serves as a talent, sci-tech, and finance highland, which offers weekly business consultations, monthly entrepreneurship roadshows, and quarterly investment recommendations.

Pudong plans to begin a new journey and make achievements in a new era, build a high-quality talent team, improve high-level talent development platforms, create a high-quality talent services environment, make efforts to attract talented personnel worldwide, build a dream city for the younger people and turn more Pudong innovations and Pudong brands into world-renowned name cards.