stfold University College Faculty of Engineering Exploration and

Østfold University College Faculty of Engineering Exploration and Practice of Quality Education on Students’ Entrepreneurship and Scientific Innovation Lei Shihe, Zheng Bingzhang, Wang Ni Hong Wu & Gunnar Andersson Shijiazhuang University of Economics, Hebei, 050031 China Østfold University College, leishihe@sjzue. edu. cn zhengbingzhangsj@163. com wangni 2005@yahoo. com. cn hong. wu@hiof. no gunnar. andersson@hiof. no Sarpsborg, Norway

Østfold University College Faculty of Engineering • Education on the scientific innovation and entrepreneurship is becoming more important in China • Strong need for the talents with creativity on the international level • Innovation has already become “the main cantus” of reforming the higher education of the 21 st century in China • An example of education on students’ entrepreneurship and scientific innovation in Shijiazhuang University of Economics • The appreciation of the students’ multiple skills and abilities, their skills of cooperation for incubating and promoting for creative and innovative work

Østfold University College Faculty of Engineering The Actions of Creating an Atmosphere for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Shijiazhuang University of Economics (SUE) has practiced a number of detailed actions to complete the innovation and entrepreneurship education and these actions are: · Forming the value of quality education oriented to innovation · Developing the basic role of “room class” · Relying on the innovative activities of communities and social practice · Building a system of evaluation on students’ quality education · Creating a distinctive cultural atmosphere on campus

Østfold University College Faculty of Engineering • It is said that the study of theoretical knowledge is performed in “room class”, then the assimilation, application and improvement of it should be achieved in “practice class” which including a series of extra-curricular activities, activated in leisure time, defined as “communities”. • There are more than 50 communities on all kinds of fields, such as theoretical study, social science, science and technology, literature and arts, voluntary work, physical training, etc. in SUE. More than 7000 students equivalent to 60% of the whole join those communities. • The SUE students are required to complete not less than 10 credits on their voluntary/optional courses and 10 credits on their engagement on innovative activities of communities and social practice. These two elements together are counted more than 10% of their compulsory credits for their entire progress at SUE.

Østfold University College Faculty of Engineering SUE students innovative activities of communities and social practice Activities Require ment Ethics Content and evaluations Credits (1 SUE = 3 ECTS) Responsible Unit Individual mark of excellence Total mark to whole class for excellence and good 0. 5/year 1. 0/student 1. 5/class representatives Student union and faculties Information and policy Compul sory Participation of (at least 3) organized activities 0. 5/year Youth League and faculties Social practice and competence Compul sory Participation of (at least 3) social practice and submit reports 1. 0/participation Youth League and faculties Culture and technology Voluntar y Awarded 3 first titles at university competitions Awarded 5 first titles at provincial competitions Awarded 6 first titles at national competitions Participation and submission research reports Publishing research paper on a research journal Awarded national patent 1. 0/participation 0. 5/report 3. 0/report Study administration, R&D department, Youth League and faculties

Østfold University College Faculty of Engineering SUE students innovative activities of communities and social practice Entertainment and sport Voluntar y Participation of university competitions/events Participation of provincial competitions/events Participation of national competitions/events 0. 2/participation 0. 5/participation 1. 0/participation Youth League and faculties and sport unit Event organizing Voluntar y Excellent contribution at the university’s arrangement Participation of the university’s arrangement Organizing the university’s arrangement 0. 51. 5/participation 0. 2/participation 0. 5/participation Youth League and faculties Social groups Voluntar y Basically, every student is required to participate in at least one social group, but not more than two groups each year 0. 5/year Youth League and faculties Others Voluntar y Awarded any certificate (for example accounting certificate, lawyer license, driving license, etc. ) 2. 0/certificate Study administration, Youth League and faculties

Østfold University College Faculty of Engineering To constitute and perfect the organization and relevant policy for entrepreneurship and innovation In this case, the following aspects are taken into account: • • • Establishing a supportive headquarter that leading students’ entrepreneurship and innovation over the university. Making the Student Scientific Association to exert, support those student scientific communities with a good prospect, pursue regular researches and scientific exchange, solve key problems and invent, and provide students a “Challenge Journal” for exchanging ideas and information, in order to incubate students’ scientific and cooperation spirit. Encouraging professors to absorb students to join their projects. Establishing a special foundation to support students to carry out entrepreneurship and innovation projects, and Legitimating and institutionalizing an encouragement policy to excellent students who get good results in entrepreneurship and innovation.

Østfold University College Faculty of Engineering • “Challenge Cup”– A national business plan annual competition for students from all universities in China, but also open for others • First competition started in 1998 • Last year the competition was jointly organized by Xiamen University and the Xiamen municipal government, in South China • 40 entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and other professionals were involved in evaluating the 100 business plans from 77 universities/colleges across China • The SUE students took part in every match and got good results with Silver once and Bronze Medal twice for 2004 competition

Østfold University College Faculty of Engineering SUE students annual challenge cup participations and their awards from provincial and national competitions. Year Attending teams Attending persons Provincial award Awarded persons 1999 2 18 2000 7 39 1 st prize once 2 nd prizes 3 times 3 rd prizes 3 times 9 13 14 2001 7 29 1 st prize once 2 nd prizes twice 3 rd prizes 4 times 7 12 23 2002 5 23 1 st prize once 2 nd prizes once 3 rd prizes once 5 5 5 2003 10 52 Outstanding prize once 1 st prize twice 2 nd prizes 3 times 3 rd prizes 3 times 5 11 18 18 2004 28 168 Outstanding prize once 1 st prize 6 times 2 nd prizes 2 times 3 rd prizes once 6 36 11 6 National competition Awarded persons Silver medal once 9 Bronze medal twice 15 Bronze medal twice 10 Silver medal once Bronze medal twice 6 12

Østfold University College Faculty of Engineering In order to enhance student multiple making and cultivate the capacities of their entrepreneurship and scientific innovation, some main aspects should be grasped: • • • Abortively perform market investigation and meanwhile find out the market requirements and select the useful projects. Special topic training and incorporate learned knowledge and the one should be studied together. Originality selection. Really recording inspiration and reasonably selecting the originality design. Organize the teams and re-inquire on special market requirement, and Write and consummate the production, evaluate and judge them.

Østfold University College Faculty of Engineering International Cooperation - Absorb advanced concept and approach of education on entrepreneurship and scientific innovation • Learning the concept and technique of education on entrepreneurship and scientific innovation, exchange the experience, organize the international team and develop the innovation program (joint research project 2005) • SUE has cooperated in education on entrepreneurship and innovation to Chinese students and abroad with Østfold University College of Norway (seminars with Norwegian visiting professors) • The international team has done the program using the Internet, the cooperative online project has benefited both sides through a co-authored research paper, published at an international conference in 2001 • The dissemination of Norwegian guest lecturer in autumn 2004 has also contributed greatly for promoting SUE and China for Norwegian publicity

Østfold University College Faculty of Engineering • The cooperation between both sides also provides opportunities for comparative analysis for further research based study AN OVERVIEW OVER WORLDWIDE BUSINESS PLAN COMPETITIONS World region North America Europe Asia/Australia Latin America Africa Established since 1983 -1989 4 0 0 1990 -1999 21 15 5 0 0 2000 -2004 16 9 10 4 1 Total competitions 41 24 15 4 1

Østfold University College Faculty of Engineering AN OVERVIEW OVER WORLDWIDE BUSINESS PLAN COMPETITIONS • North America, especially USA keeps the leading position • This region also has a powerful driving force for this innovation and entrepreneurship based education program • There is strongly growing competitions arranged in Europe and Asia/Australia • There are total 15 competitions arranged in Asia/Australia, hereof 6 by the Chinese speaking regions (3 in Singapore, 2 in Hong Kong and 1 in Mainland China) • SUE is annually attending the competition in Mainland China

Østfold University College Faculty of Engineering There is slightly difference between Chinese (SUE) and Norwegian (HIOF) competitions • Names – Challenge Cup (Ch) vs. Venture Cup (No) • Reward – Medal/Credit of study (Ch) vs. Cash (No) • Content – Showcase/focus on business plan (Ch) vs. Taking the business idea from concept to actual startup (No) • Focus – Economics and human resource focused (Ch) vs. Product and business concept focused (No) • However, both sides emphasize the market opportunities and consider it as the basic element for all others

Østfold University College Faculty of Engineering Some experiences of this practice are summarized as follows: • The student, who intends to have a successful career in future, should prepare himself/herself now and become more innovation thinking and ability. • It is should be realized that students taking part in the entrepreneurship and innovation is not only to meet the requirement of enhancing their own quality or ability, but to adapt themselves to catch up with the development of the society as well. • Advancing the students’ quality and multiple abilities should be more included in our education concept, instructing technique, subject construction and course design, etc. • The knowledge is the treasure, which the mankind commonly possesses. It is, therefore, very important to strengthen international exchange and cooperation for incubating and promoting the students’ creative and working abilities, especially in education internalization and economy globalization nowadays.