On April 27, 2025, the launch ceremony for the TSINGHUA UNIVERSITY "DESIGN+" INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP (INTERNATIONAL) COMPETITION was officially held in the A301 Auditorium of the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University. The competition is guided by the Design Education Professional Committee of the China Association of Higher Education and the Tsinghua University Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education Coordination Committee, and hosted by the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University, with the Tsinghua University Art and Science Innovation Base as the organizer.
The competition, themed "Designing the Future · Empowering Youth," aims to ignite students' innovative spirit and original creation capabilities, explore new models of design innovation education, and cultivate innovative designers with strategic thinking, management skills, comprehensive qualities, and a global perspective. Simultaneously, it seeks to promote international exchange among youth entrepreneurship teams, establish a platform connecting global innovation resources, and contribute youth power to addressing global challenges. Leaders from the Tsinghua University Academic Affairs Office, the Basic Industrial Training Center, and the Tsinghua Qingdao Institute of Art and Science Innovation, along with representatives from co-organizing units, partner enterprises, faculty, and students, jointly participated in the launch ceremony. The launch ceremony was presided over by Ma Wenjia, Deputy Party Secretary of the Academy of Arts & Design.
At the launch ceremony, speeches were delivered by Qin Chuan, Party Secretary of the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University; Hu Chuxiong, Deputy Director of the Tsinghua University Academic Affairs Office; Yang Jianxin, Director of the Basic Industrial Training Center; and Wang Jiansong, Executive Deputy Dean of the Tsinghua Qingdao Institute of Art and Science Innovation.
Qin Chuan (left), Secretary of the Party Committee of the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University
Hu Chuxiong (right), Deputy Director of the Academic Affairs Office, Tsinghua University
Qin Chuan emphasized that the rise of new technologies such as artificial intelligence has brought new demands to the cultivation of design talents. In the transition from design services to design-driven innovation, future society will require not only skilled professional designers but also brand designers with independent design and operational capabilities, comprehensive corporate design directors, and even strategic designers with keen foresight and an open international perspective. In recent years, the Academy of Arts & Design has initiated a series of educational reforms, placing greater emphasis on foundational liberal arts education and interdisciplinary courses. Through a rich array of extracurricular activities, students are provided with more opportunities to engage in challenging and innovative learning practices. Since 2024, the academy has integrated resources from various design and entrepreneurship competitions to launch the “Design+” Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition brand, aiming to gather talents and forces from all sides to explore new models and paths for cultivating high-level, innovative design talents.
Hu Chuxiong stated that the university is continuously exploring innovative talent cultivation models, actively reshaping training programs and reconstructing the curriculum system to establish the Tsinghua Academy education model. The Tsinghua Disruptive Innovation Talent Cultivation Project, launched in early 2024, advocates for discovering unique talents, supporting valuable failures, and encouraging interest-driven independent exploration and learning. By providing a more relaxed environment and greater space for autonomous growth for innovative talents in the new era, the university aims to create conditions for the emergence of the most innovative students.
Yang Jianxin (left), Director of the Fundamental Industry Training Center, Tsinghua University
Wang Jiansong (right), Executive Vice President of the Tsinghua Qingdao Academy of Arts and Science Innovation
Yang Jianxin noted that the Fundamental Industry Training Center, as the university's primary practical teaching institution, focuses on interdisciplinary engineering practice and innovation and entrepreneurship education. It has developed a practical teaching system that integrates engineering skills training, engineering quality cultivation, and innovation and entrepreneurship education, continuously improving the maker cultivation model. The spirit of makers embodies initiative and open source, collaboration and sharing, and emphasizes turning dreams into reality. Among the numerous innovation and entrepreneurship teams successfully incubated by the center, many include students from the Academy of Arts & Design, highlighting the importance of design disciplines in innovation and entrepreneurship.
Wang Jiansong stated that one of the main goals of innovation is entrepreneurship, and the goal of entrepreneurship is to serve society. The Tsinghua Qingdao Academy of Arts and Science Innovation adheres to the development goal of "integrating art and science," covering six major areas: future life, future learning, future health, future mobility, future fashion, and cultural sustainability. It serves as a comprehensive platform for transforming achievements and provides excellent conditions for entrepreneurial incubation.
Subsequently, in the presence of all guests and attendees, the competition was officially launched.
Launch Ceremony of the Competition
Fu Zhiyong, Executive Director of the Art and Technology Innovation Base, introduced the “Design+” competition through a promotional video and released the Tsinghua University “Design+” Innovation and Entrepreneurship (International) Competition Project Case Collection and the Art and Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship Blue Book. These publications systematically analyze the connotation and value of art and technology innovation and entrepreneurship, examine the current policy environment and industrial ecosystem, and deeply explore talent cultivation models and competency requirements, showcasing and analyzing typical practices in building an interactive ecosystem of university art design and innovation and entrepreneurship.
Ma Wenjia (left), Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University
Fu Zhiyong (right), Executive Director of the Art and Technology Innovation Base, Tsinghua University
During the track release and support plan segment, Lin Binhua, Entrepreneurship Mentor at the Art and Technology Innovation Base, Tian Zhen, Chairman of Zhongguancun Dongsheng Science Park Yizhan Technology, and Luo Juan, Vice President of 37 Interactive Entertainment Group, shared their insights.
Guest Sharing
Lin Binhua, representing Shenzhen Seventh Avenue Technology Co., Ltd., released the “Game East Wind of Traditional Culture” industry proposition track.
Tian Zhen stated that the Haidian AI Origin Community has gathered nearly 300 artificial intelligence enterprises and is building a youth-friendly digital community to make innovation and entrepreneurship less challenging.
Luo Juan released the “37 Interactive Entertainment Game Industry Proposition Track,” aiming to discover and cultivate a new generation of game talents and create the world with a playful spirit.
In the “Design+” competition's art and technology innovation team roadshow session, six teams presented creative and confident demonstrations.
QR Code for the “Design+” Competition Official Website
Students are welcome to scan the QR code to register for the competition. Various forms of training camps will be organized subsequently. Please stay tuned to the "Design+" competition official website for updates.
