Opening Ceremony

The 7-day Global Entrepreneur Summer School (hereinafter referred to as GESS) held in Shanghai from 24 to 30 August 2024 was successfully concluded, connecting global entrepreneurial talents and addressing contemporary development issues.

The Global Entrepreneur Summer School is an initiative of the 4E Alliance (Technical University Munich, Munich University of Applied Sciences, Munich Business School, University of Applied Sciences Landshut and University of the Federal Armed Forces Munich) and the Institute for Social Entrepreneurship (ISE) together with its partners, the Polytechnic University of Monterrey (Mexico), Tongji University (China) and LifeCo UnLtd (South Africa). Since 2015, Tongji University is the first Asian partner and China is the host country. In 2024, the GESS was held in Shanghai, Munich and Querétaro and was well attended by students from more than 30 countries on five continents.

Company Field Research

This year’s GESS Shanghai programme was designed with reference to the teaching logic refined over the past 16 years of GESS, with 32 participants divided into 6 groups and equipped with 6 coaches to provide ‘companion guidance’ throughout the programme. For 7 days, the campers experienced the complete process of business model innovation, with course lectures, participatory observation and interactive experiences, complemented by the strongest alumni support, close visits to companies, field visits to the workshop. The rich series of course curriculum empowered the global entrepreneurial youth, and finally presented the solutions in the form of project roadshow to achieve the good vision of using business models to address the world development issues of the age.

Course Lectures

On the morning of August 24th, LIU Run, Deputy Secretary of Tongji University Party Committee, YIN Wen, Director of Tongji University Foreign Affairs Office, Professor SHI Qian, Secretary of Tongji SEM Party Committee, SUN Yujie, Deputy Secretary of Tongji University Youth League Committee (presiding), and DONG Bianlin, Deputy Secretary of Tongji SEM Party Committee attended the opening ceremony. 32 campers from nine countries, including Germany, Romania, Switzerland, Mexico, Turkey and South Africa, gathered together to feel the warm welcome from Tongji University, listen to the matters of joining the camp and participate in the ice-breaking activities.

Creative Workshop

GESS invited Chinese and foreign experts and professors to give lectures on various topics, including Prof. SU Yunsheng from Shanghai International Design and Innovation Institute (SIIDI), Prof. GONG Tianyu from Tongji SEM, Prof. Srini, COO of the Shanghai Institute of Innovative and Creative Design (SIID) and former President and Senator of the World Design Organisation (WDO), Prof. Xavier Ferré, Head of Asian Affairs, Polytechnic University of Madrid, Prof. XU Tao of the School of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Tongji University, and Prof. ZHANG Zhen, former Executive Director of Tongji Foundation. The lecture topics included Introduction to Systems Thinking and Guidance on Topic Selection, Design Thinking and Human-centred Perspectives, and Creativity and Impact Management.Visit to the Riverside

GESS Shanghai also provided creative stimulation through field research, alumni advice, visits and workshops. Through company visits and roundtable discussions, the campers gained insights into the operation of innovative companies and industry trends. At Yuantong Express Company, a leading comprehensive international supply chain integrator, the campers learned about the operation of the express industry, logistics ecology and technological innovation; at Tongyu Automobile, the future leader in intelligent driving technology, the campers were inspired by the development of intelligence and interested in the development of high technology. Alumni counselling was an innovation this year, with three former GESS alumni from Germany, Mexico and Tongji University sharing their experiences and projects online and offline. After visiting the People’s Museum of Urban Planning and Construction and the World Skills Museum, the campers were able to understand the concept of China’s People’s City, learn about the characteristics of Shanghai’s urban design, experience the history of the development of the world’s work tools, and learn about the importance of skills inheritance and innovation.

At the closing ceremony, six groups presented the projects they had produced during the camp. Professor CHEN Shouming from Tongji SEM, Professor SU Yunsheng from the School of Design and Creativity and Professor XU Tao from the School of Innovation and Entrepreneurship served as judges. Heat wave, telemedicine, dehydration, marine waste recycling, air pollution, mosquito-borne diseases – each group’s theme demonstrated the campers’ concerns about the world’s most important social issues, reflecting GESS’ purpose of exploring “infinite possibilities for future innovation and a better world”. The team with the most creativity and sense of social mission, ‘HydroWater’, was selected as the winner after the group defence.

Closing Ceremony

GESS has always been committed to solving hot social issues through innovation and entrepreneurship, and this year’s four sub-themes of innovation are Food, Health, Production/Waste and Mobility, to start innovation and entrepreneurship planning and try to solve the social problems of different countries and regions while integrating business ideas. GESS Shanghai has created a platform for the world’s youth to learn about China’s entrepreneurial model, and also provided a new channel for China’s entrepreneurial youth to cooperate internationally, transforming the world of win-win cooperation in joint practice.