The 1st Foreign Innovation and Entrepreneurship Camp，organized by CFAU-Bauhinia Valley Innovation and Development Training Center(CFAU-BVIDTC), was held from July 4th to July 13th, 2017. The event attracted the participation of 40 young enterprises personnel and university students from Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. CFAU-BVIDTC , a joint undertaking by CFAU and Bauhinia Valley Development Center(BVDC), was established under the care and support of CFAU leaders and Chen Jingwei, member of the board of CFAU, vice chairman of All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce(ACFIC), chairman and president of the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce(CGCC), Hong Kong and Chairman of the Board of Hongkong King Wai Group.

On the afternoon of July 6th, 2017, the launching ceremony of CFAU-BVIDTC and the 1st Foreign Innovation and Entrepreneurship Camp was held on CFAU’s Shahe Campus. Qin Yaqing, president of CFAU, Li Hongmei, CFAU’s vice president, Chen Hengda, vice president of CGCC HK, vice chairman of HK King Wai Group and vice chairman of BDC and also representatives from Beijing Office of King Wai Group attended the ceremony. Jiang Ruiping, vice president of CFAU,  presided over the event.

The 1st Foreign Innovation and Entrepreneurship Camp aimed to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship in the trainees through CFAU’S characteristic disciplines and courses by renowned scholars and experts. With CFAU’s educational philosophy of training students with a global vision and great learning for grand harmony in the world, the camp offered diversified lectures, symposiums, field visits and practical drills to ensure that participants could have a better understanding of the international landscape, domestic policies and knowledge about innovation and entrepreneurship.

Many renowned scholars and veteran officials served as instructors and gave lectures during the camp, among whom were Professor Jiang Ruiping, vice president of CFAU, Professor Sun Jisheng, vice president of CFAU, Gao Fei, president assistant of CFAU, and Wang Guoqing, vice chairman of Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference(CPPCC) , ambassador Lu Peixin, former director-general of the Protocol Department of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PRC, ambassador Yuan Nansheng, former party secretary and vice executive president of CFAU, Xu Ningning, executive director of the China-ASEAN Business Council(CABC) and Chen Da, president of China Association of International Business Negotiation(CAIBN). 

Between lectures, participants also attended press conferences as visitors in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of PRC, visited the meeting place of the Belt and Road Forum(BRF) and some successful start-up businesses. Symposiums and training on negotiation, etiquette and debate were conducted and well-received among them.

Participants thought highly of this camp as it expanded their horizon, improved their way of thinking, provided them with knowledge about current policies and improved their professional skills. They are also offered the chance to communicate with master scholars, experts and other participants from all over China. They thought this camp a great helping hand for those youngsters who were striving to start up their own businesses. On the closing ceremony, Hong Fei, a start-up entrepreneur in Hk and one of the seven outstanding participants, expressed his gratitude to CFAU, BVDC, King Wai Group and Hong Kong China Chamber of Commerce. Yang Zhikai another elite participant and a Taiwanese start-up entrepreneur in Shanghai, noted that, by joining this camp, he had a better understanding of the international landscape, loved  the country more, and developed friendship with compatriots from all over China. 

It was the first camp held jointly by CFAU and BVDC. Some new things are introduced into enrollment publicity, curriculum design, participants management and team building, which were proven effective. In the future, the center will learn from the past and organize more camps according to the needs and plans of CFAU-BVDTC to provide more and better guidance and service for young entrepreneurs.