TheOpening Ceremony of UK-NPU Entrepreneurship and Employability Education Day & Official Launching of theCentre for Students' International DevelopmentofQueenMarry University of London Engineering School, NPU (QMES)was successfully heldon April 27th, 2019 in Chang'an Campus, Northwestern Polytechnic University (NPU).The eventwas co-hostedby the British Embassy in China and NPU, and jointly organized byOffice of International Cooperation, Teaching Affairs Department, Undergraduate Student Affairs Department ofNPU,NPU Youth League Committee and theQMES.
Nick Low, Counselor of the British Embassy in China, Duan Libing, Deputy Director of the OfficeforInternational Cooperation, Wang Qi,Deputy Director of Teaching Affairs Department,Zha Gangqiang, Deputy Director of the Undergraduate Student Affairs Department ofNPU, Zhou Kai,Secretaryof NPU Youth League Committee, Kong Jie,Dean of QMES,Vice-Dean Fan Xiaoli and Chen Junwere presented atthe event. More than 100participants includingteachersand parent representativesand studentsfromSchool of Aeronautics,School of Materials Science and Engineering,School of Electronics and InformationTechnology, School of Automation Engineering, School of Sciences, School of Humanities, Economics and Law,School of Software,School of Foreign Languages,Honors College,International College, QMESNPU, and Xi'an University of Architecture and TechnologyUniversity of South Australia An De College,attended the event.
The distinguished guests jointly launched the QMES Center for Students’International Development.
Duan Libing made an opening speechandmentionedthat NPUhas followedtheglobaltrendand practicallyresponded to the callofthe central government aboutpushingforward theinnovation and entrepreneurship education.By co-hostingthe UK-NPU Entrepreneurship and EmployabilityDaywith theBritish Embassy in China, QMES hasagain made a good try in putting into practice theinnovationeducation and theconcept of talent cultivation for students' international development.The Centrewill be a platform toinitiatean international network to serve students' growthand help them to be theparticipants, contributors and beneficiaries of global governance.
CounselorLow, speaking on behalf of the British Embassy in China, said that the British side actively promotedthebilateral practicalcooperation in variousfields. Herecalledthe "GoldenEra" of Sino-UKrelations and the deep and practicalcooperationin the field ofpeople-to-people and cultureexchange, especially injointeducation andresearch of higher educationinstitutes.Mr. Lowspoke highly of theachievementsof NPU in promoting innovation and entrepreneurship education anditsinfluence as an important tie in strengthening the relationship between Xi'an and London. He pointed out that the British Embassy in China will continue to encourage relevant British institutions to strengthencooperation with NPU and inject new energy into the development ofQMES.
After the opening ceremony, "Employment and Entrepreneurship Day" entered the practice session. Led by education experts Julian Fisher, Charlotte Smith, Vicki Small and Emily Lumb, the students participated in various practical activities in the morning, afternoon and evening. They haveengaged inpersonal reflection tasks, employability tests, entrepreneurial workshops, high-intensitive design thinking activities, individual and group presentations, etc. Through the activities,studentsbetterunderstoodtheir entrepreneurial potential,improvedthe way of thinking to solve future workplace problems, andobtained practical knowledge onentrepreneurshipandemployment
clearer understandingon theirpotential, advantages and disadvantagesoninnovation and entrepreneurship.Then theyformednew teamswith unfamiliarones tobrainstormon different topicswhich led to theinnovative designs anda report invideoformfor evaluation. Finally,works from each team were presented and evaluated byjudges and a shortprize awardingceremony was held.Thestudents' innovativeawarenessand creative enthusiasm were fully mobilizedby the training, and the design process and results were highly praised by the experts. The students all said that through this activity, they not only learned new knowledge,madenewfriends, but also had a deeper understanding ontheir entrepreneurial potential, personalityand innovative thinking ability, which laid a good foundation forthem to engaged in more targetedinnovation and entrepreneurship practiceto be better prepared forfuture study and work.
In the evening, all theparticipants movedto therestaurantinNPU Hotel for aBritish pub quiz. The students were randomly grouped and quizzedon different topics. Thecontentcovers British historical events, literary works, architectural symbols, local customs, and political, economic and cultural exchanges and cooperation between China and the UK, as well as prospects for bilateral relations. The students were fullyhappilyengaged.Laughter, applause and cheers in the hall came one after another. It isbelieved that the learning method is novel and unique, the process is relaxed and pleasant, the impression of new knowledge points isprofound, and the innovationawarenessisraisedunknowingly.The Entrepreneurship and Employability Day was a complete success.
The establishment of the QMES CenterforStudents’ International Development is a beneficial attempt toexplore the innovative mode ofwork onstudent international development andto deepen thereform onthe mechanism of work onstudentaffairs. TheUK-NPU Entrepreneurship and Employment Day is one of the innovative practices ofQMEStoimplementtheworkrequirementsgenerated from the discussion ontalents education in NPU.It aims to broadeningstudents' international horizon, andimprovingtheirglobalcompetence and scientific leadership. Ithas gainedpraises fromteachers and students and addedinnovative impetus to theentrepreneurshipand innovation education of NPU.
