On 11 October, 2017, the opening ceremony of the first experimental program of financial innovation and entrepreneurship education reform, which will be jointly run by MS&E and TMFOX Incubator, was held in Room 115, Building 7, Shahe Campus. Attended guests include the general manager and founder of TMFOX Mr. Yu Xiangyu, Dean of School of TMFOX Innovation Ma Su, Dean of MS&E Professor Li Wenbin, Associate Dean Professor Liu Zhidong, Associate Professor Song Yanqiu, as well as Qu Hongyan and Jing Zhongbo from Department of Investment. The ceremony was hosted by Dean Assistant and Associate Professor Gao Boyang.
Professor Li Wenbin first addressed the audience thanking TMFOX for supporting the School in training innovative talents in finance and economics. The combination of TMFOX’s investment experience in technological and financial fields and MS&E’s faculty competence will be conducive to their joint exploration in training high-quality talents who will be capable of tapping innovation and entrepreneurship and whose minds are open to the society. He hoped that the two sides could keep challenging themselves, boldly break through, deepen their cooperation through multiple cooperative modes including joint theoretical courses, in-field training of innovation and entrepreneurship and the contest of “entrepreneurial star”. In the end of his speech, he extended his wish that students could actively take part in the program and gain the ability to innovate.
Mr. Yu Xiangyu then gave a keynote speech on A Time for Innovative Investment: Case Analysis of Authentic Investment and Financing. By reviewing major technological innovations in the past 20 years, he guided the students to think deeply of the topic: how to innovate? What’s the motivation for innovation? What guides innovative thinking? Commercialization of technology is a complicated process in which investment plays an important promoting role. By visualizing investment theories in the textbook into live cases, Mr. Yu explained the profound theories in the logic of investment in simple languages, taking students to a closer look into investment practice. Finally, he introduced in detail the course setting of the experimental program, and answered and discussed about questions raised by teachers and students.
Through processes including online application, CV screening, campus presentation and interview, 26 students passed the assessment and were officially admitted in the program. Associate Professor Gao Boyang and Jing Zhongbo had in-depth exchanges with every student. They learned the students’ expectation towards the program and answered their questions about courses and practices. In return, the teachers showed great confidence and expectation towards the students, encouraging them to broaden their horizon, challenge themselves, practice learning and make progress during study.
The training curriculum consists of three parts: theoretical courses, training of innovation and entrepreneurship and the contest of “entrepreneurial star”. First, theoretical training consists of four major courses: Management of Technological Innovation, Analysis and Evaluation of Investment Value, Private Equity and Venture, and Analysis and Management of Entrepreneurial Team. Theoretical lectures and case analyses are adopted in this session. Instructors are composed of MS&E faculty and TMFOX instructing team with multiple teaching approaches such as face-to-face lecture, video class and online discussion. Second, training of innovation and entrepreneurship will be in TMFOX’s charge. 3-5 students form a group, and each group is equipped with a project manager as their supervisor and a business analyst as their trainer. Modules of the training include basic knowledge of analysis, industry research, professional report writing, etc. Third, “entrepreneurial star” contest will be held at final. It is designed to spur entrepreneurial thinking, tap their potentials for entrepreneurship, and cultivate innovative spirit. Students are encouraged to design business modes and development plans, the top performer among whom will get TMFOX’s support.
The program is an active exploration of MS&E’s to deepen undergraduate educational reform. As is social need oriented, the experimental program aims to strengthen its connection with the industry, which is a powerful try of advancing integration of knowledge teaching and industrial practices and cooperation between universities and businesses. The program will hold on to its “need-oriented and competence-central” principle, take comprehensive quality of talents and the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship as core elements, explore along with businesses the curriculum system and teaching content that integrate with the market, and together with businesses provide practical platform for students to train comprehensive talents whose minds are open to the society.
