Two student teams from the University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC) recently delivered outstanding performances in the 2024 China University Business Elite Challenge (CUBEC). With exceptional innovation abilities and solid professional qualities, the UNNC teams stood out in the intense competition and won the first prize in the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Practice Competition for Culture, Tourism and Exhibition, and the second prize in the Entrepreneurship Plan Track of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition.
CUBEC is a national-level competition jointly organized by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Commercial Sub-council and relevant units. Since its establishment in 2012, the competition has always focused on industry practice and attracted nearly 2,000 universities nationwide to actively participate, serving nearly 10,000 companies. The competition consists of eight tracks: Brand Planning, International Trade, Accounting and Business Management Cases, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Practice Competition for Culture, Tourism and Exhibition, Logistics and Supply Chain, Business Negotiation, and Business MICE (Meeting, Incentive, Convention, Exhibition) Planning.
Among them, the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Practice Competition for Culture, Tourism and Exhibition has been included in the discipline competition ranking list for many years and is the only national-level competition in the field of tourism and exhibition in the current business education. The student team from Nottingham University Business School China (members include Shuwei Wang, Ning Feng, Qianyu Li, and Xilei Chen) under the guidance of Dr Yi Wang, their supervisor, won the first prize with their planning case "Together with Fish - Gaoni Village Yellow Croaker Theme Tourism Project". The project, based on the yellow croaker culture of Gaoni Village, combined with diversified experiential methods, aims to create an innovative and sustainable rural tourism destination.
The team members expressed, "This victory is not only a testament to our planning skills, but also a reflection of our collaborative efforts. Throughout the project implementation, each team member fully utilized their strengths and worked closely together. From conducting in-depth market research to detailed event and marketing planning, and through repeated financial analysis, we established a solid foundation for the project's feasibility. The team's cohesion and understanding enabled us to overcome obstacles and work towards a common goal."
Additionally, another student team from YEAction (Young Entrepreneur in Action) UNNC (members include Kun Chen, Xingzhuo Yi, Jinheng Zhang, and Qianwen Hu) also performed exceptionally well in the Entrepreneurship Plan Track of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition. This cross-disciplinary team received high recognition from judges due to their sharp market insight and innovative use of technology and business models.
YEAction UNNC was established in 2007 with a commitment to solving social problems under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals through social innovation and cultivating future-oriented entrepreneurial leaders. It serves as a growth platform for cultivating young leaders who possess both social conscience and commercial qualities.
The student team expressed gratitude for the valuable opportunity provided by YEAction, saying, "It allowed us to have in-depth exchanges with professors from the Business School and experience the practical process of starting a project from scratch." Led by Dr Lin Huang, they designed "Kuaitao", an innovative B2C shopping guide mobile application that integrates information on the most popular cross-border e-commerce platforms worldwide, combined with the latest AI and big data technology to provide users with personalized, efficient cross-border shopping experiences.
The outstanding performance of UNNC's student teams in the national competition highlights the excellent strength and innovative potential of the university's business education. This participation in the competition received full support from the Student Engagement and Employability Development (SEED) Scheme of the Business School. Through various extracurricular programmes, career exploration lectures, and other diversified activities, the SEED Scheme has provided students with a valuable platform to discover their potential and enhance their competitiveness. The SEED Scheme has also received financial support from the UNNC Education Foundation to help students shine on a broader stage.