On June 25, organized by Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education Alliance of China (IEEAC), hosted by ZZU, the grand opening of 2017 the First Annual Meeting of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education Alliance of China commenced in ZZU. More than 1,700 people joined the meeting, including Vice Minister Liu Huiqing of Ministry of Education, Secretary Xu Xiao of the Communist Youth League Central Committee, Vice Governor Xu Jichao of Henan People’s Government, Alliance President, President Qiu Yong of Tsinghua University, Deputy Secretary Ye Jingyi of Peking University Party Committee, Deputy Director General Xu Qingsen of Higher Education Department of Ministry of Education, Director General Zhu Qingmeng of Henan Department of Education, Party Leadership Group Secretary Zhao Jianjun of Henan Department of Science and Technology, Party Secretary Wang Yi of Communist Youth League Henan Provincial Committee, Vice Mayor Liu Dong of Zhengzhou City, etc., the chiefs of every director general unit and vice director general unit of the First Annual Conference of China Universities Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education Alliance, leaders of more than 500 hundred Chinese universities, famous business representatives of Tecent Company, Tongfang Knowledge Network Technology Co., Ltd. (Beijing) , etc., representatives of Demonstration Base for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, ZZU leadership including Niu Shucheng, Liu Jiongtian, Li Xingcheng, Wang Zongmi, Zhang Qianhong, Liu Guoji, Gu Zhenqing, Guan Shaokang, Han Guohe, Liu Dongsheng, as well representatives of more than 20 central and local media. The Opening Ceremony was chaired by Vice President of Alliance Council, President Zhou Yu of Harbin Institute of Technology.

ZZU party secretary Niu Shucheng delivered a welcome speech. Niu said, valuing highly Innovation and Entrepreneurship, ZZU put forward a development strategy of “Blending and Integration, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Leading and Radiation”, and constructed a system of innovative talents training and innovation-driving-development that took talents as core, innovation as key, platform as carrier, services as foundation, advancing steadily the reform of innovation and entrepreneurship education, and actively exploring the construction of a long-term mechanism, finally realizing “Innovation in ZZU and Entrepreneurship in Henan”

Vice Governor Xu Jichao noted in his address that holding the First Annual Meeting of IEEAC in Henan was a trusting and encouraging gesture of Ministry of Education and Alliance Council to both ZZU and Henan work. This was not only affirmation of Henan Innovation and Entrepreneurship education, but also mattered a lot in advancing Henan education to a higher level, and comprehensively facilitating the innovative development of Henan economy and society.

Qiu Yong, Alliance President and President of Tsinghua University said in his speech, the mission of IEEAC was to build a common platform and provide superb resources of innovation and entrepreneurship, thus forming a favorable education ecology of innovation and entrepreneurship, training more talents for innovation and entrepreneurship, making contributions for implementing the strategy of innovation-driving-development and building an innovative country.

Vice Minister Lin Huiqing of Ministry of Education noted in her speech, training talents for innovation and entrepreneurship was an important mission of higher education. She stressed, institutions of higher education must seize the key fields and points, push the education reform of innovation and entrepreneurship towards deeper development and comprehensively improve the quality of innovation and entrepreneurship; Alliance must go into deep studies, deepen exchanges and cooperation, spend great efforts in becoming a think tank of innovation and entrepreneurship, a platform of sharing resources and a window of foreign cooperation; businesses and investors need to participate deep in supporting innovation education of institutions of higher education, thus providing strong talents guarantee and wisdom support for China’s economic and societal development.

At the opening ceremony, Secretary-General Sun Hongbin of the Alliance released a “Blue book” and a report, which was the first time that China ever issued such a national blue book and students report on innovation and entrepreneurship; Managing Vice President Song Yonghua of Zhejiang University issued the list of projects approved by Fund Programs of Research Center of IEEAC; the official website of IEEAC and “Project of One Hundred Cities, One Thousand Schools” of innovation and entrepreneurship formally commenced. Secretary General Sun signed an agreement of cooperation with CEO Hao Xianghong of China Youth; President Liu Jiongtian signed a Cooperation Framework Agreement of ZZU Innovation and Entrepreneurship Industry Investment Fund with General Manager Liu Xinyong of Henan Investment Group.

At the Opening Ceremony, President Academician Liu Jiongtian made a special report entitled “University’s Mission: From Truth-Seeking Spirit to Innovation Education”.

President Zhou Yu of Harbin Institute of Technology, Associate Vice President Wu Enbai of Hongkong University of Science and Technology each also made a special report; those who took the floor were Party Deputy Secretary Ye Jingyi of Peking University, Vice President Zheng Qinghua of Xi’an Jiongtong University, Vice President Wang Juhong of Tecent, President of Cybernaut, Dean Zhu Min of Institute of International Innovation, Mr. Li Zhu, the Founding Partner of Innoangel Fund, and Mr. Zhao Ye, distinguished talent of Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia. Vice President Zhang Qianhong of ZZU chaired the session of special reports.

IEEAC was inaugurated in June 11 of 2015 in Tsinghua University. The first members consisted of 137 universities, colleges and 50 enterprises and public institutions and social groups. Tsinghua University was chosen as President Unit, with its President Qiu Yong serving as President. The Vice President Units included Peking University, Zhejiang University, Fudan University, Shanghai Jiongtong University, Nanjing University, and University of Science and Technology of China, Harbin Institute of Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Zhengzhou University, Qinghai University, and Nanjing Institute of Industry Technology.(translator Song Gencheng)