The Ingenuity Lab at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC) launched the Nottingham E-commerce matriX of Transformative practice (NEXT) base this semester, which provides students with immersive learning and practice opportunities in the booming e-commerce live streaming industry. The base is led by faculties from Nottingham University Business School China and offers diverse activities such as visiting companies, expert training, on-site observation, and internships to help students gain an in-depth understanding of the operational mechanism of the industry.

This semester, the NEXT base organized students to visit Huigu E-Commerce Live Streaming Base, Ningbo Star Trend Media Technology Co., Ltd. and Veidoorn Sport. During the visits, students not only received professional training from industry experts, but also went deep into the live streaming room to understand the operation mechanism. This teaching method, which combines theory with practice, greatly stimulated students' enthusiasm for learning and exploration.

Shuyu Shi, a year 2 student majoring in International Business Economics, worked as an assistant live streamer in the Veidoorn Sport live streaming room for 3 hours. During this time, she experienced firsthand the tension and excitement of initiating a live stream with the phrase "321, let's drop the link". This experience helped her realize that live streaming is a collaborative process that requires effective coordination among various segments. Shuyu Shi emphasized that this practical experience not only helped her gain a better understanding of the live streaming process but also enhanced her abilities to work in a team and handle emergencies.

To further consolidate the practical results of the students, the NEXT base partnered with UNNC Souvenir Shop to launch a live streaming operation competition. Students designed live streaming operation plans for the souvenir shop and presented their creative proposals. Representatives from the two companies and the souvenir shop jointly served as judges to evaluate the proposals of the students.

With a passion for e-commerce live streaming, Jinshan Wang, a year 2 student majoring in Economics from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, participated in the Industry tour of NEXT base. He also performed impressively in the final competition. "In the competition, my teammates and I came up with many novel and interesting ideas. The judges highly praised our content, considering it very relevant to their actual work requirements. The industry knowledge and skills learned from this activity greatly enhanced my overall competitiveness."

As the e-commerce live streaming industry is rapidly developing, especially in the field of cross-border e-commerce live streaming, there is huge market potential. With the domestic e-commerce market becoming increasingly saturated, more and more companies are turning their attention to the overseas market. However, cross-border e-commerce live streaming requires higher language proficiency, professional skills, and international perspectives from practitioners.

UNNC students have significant advantages in language proficiency, innovative thinking, and international perspectives. They not only have fluent English-speaking abilities but also possess broad international perspectives and flexible innovative thinking. These qualities make them ideal candidates for the cross-border e-commerce live streaming industry. Additionally, the university's rich international student resources can also provide talent support for the overseas layout of Chinese brands.

In light of the current situation of the live streaming market and student characteristics, Dr Boying Li, Director of NEXT base, mentioned that NEXT base plans to carry out a series of project adjustments and optimizations in the future. On the one hand, it will focus on cross-border e-commerce and establish cooperative relationships with more companies with a cross-border e-commerce background. On the other hand, it will invite industry experts with English language proficiency to the campus and provide industry insights and skills training for students through public lectures, workshops, and other forms, further expanding their horizons and enhancing their professional skills.

Moreover, the NEXT base will also establish a filter and interview mechanism to select students who are passionate about and have potential in the e-commerce live streaming industry for enterprise internships. Through internship projects, students will have the opportunity to gain a deep understanding of the internal operation mechanism of the enterprise, accumulate valuable practical experience, and lay the foundation for their future career development.