Source: Office of Enrollment and Career Development of School of Innovation and Entrepreneurship
On the afternoon of April 24, crowds gathered outside the Student Development Center, along Cherry Blossom Avenue, and in the exhibition hall of Building 9 on Zhejiang Wanli University’s Qianhu Campus, where creativity and entrepreneurial energy were on full display. The university’s Entrepreneurship Fair, themed “Youthful Wisdom, Entrepreneurial Spirit,” attracted students, alumni, faculty, and entrepreneurship enthusiasts for a dynamic event combining policy briefings, project pitches, experience sharing, and resource networking.
At the opening ceremony, Zhu Bangxiang, Deputy Secretary of the University Party Committee, delivered welcoming remarks. He described the Entrepreneurship Fair as a signature initiative that advances innovation and entrepreneurship education while connecting campus and external resources. He encouraged students to sharpen their skills through active participation and seize opportunities through alumni support, ultimately using entrepreneurship as a pathway to employment.
During the policy briefing session, representatives from the Ningbo Employment Management Center provided a detailed overview of youth entrepreneurship support measures, including guaranteed startup loans and one-time entrepreneurship subsidies. Officials from the Jiangbei District Market Supervision Administration introduced the “Zero-Startup Space” program, a business incubator designed to help aspiring entrepreneurs launch their ventures. Through measures such as cluster registration and streamlined business registration procedures, the program aims to address common challenges faced by young entrepreneurs, including limited funding, complex administrative procedures, and a lack of mentorship.
Hu Dandan, a 2021 ZWU graduate and current head of No. 7 Dream Factory, presented the incubator platform and invited promising projects to join, offering access to comprehensive incubation services.
The project roadshow featured several innovative ventures. A representative from Ningbo Yuefu Biotechnology Co., Ltd. showcased a line of Chinese-style aromatherapy products inspired by Song dynasty lyric tune patterns and traditional incense culture. The Jizhi Team demonstrated a multimodal intelligent robotic arm capable of understanding natural language, recognizing environmental targets, and autonomously completing tasks—an advancement beyond traditional command-based robotics. Meanwhile, Singularity Creation presented a new application of bone-and-wood inlay craftsmanship through a modular “Lego-style” approach. Focusing on cutting-edge technologies and real-world industries, the projects highlighted the creativity and practical capabilities of Wanli students.
“Once a Wanli student, always a member of the Wanli family.” During the Alumni Entrepreneurship Leadership Salon, entrepreneurial alumni including Hua Mengying, Huang Huahua, Zhou Yejing, and Tong Mingkui shared candid insights with students on topics such as identifying entrepreneurial opportunities and securing a venture’s first paying customer.
Beyond the main stage, the fairgrounds were equally vibrant. Centered on fostering connections between alumni and current students, the event featured dedicated zones for startup enterprises, emerging ventures, and alumni-founded companies. More than 30 entrepreneurial projects were showcased, spanning cultural and creative industries, biotechnology, intelligent manufacturing, intangible cultural heritage preservation, and public service initiatives.
Several alumni-owned businesses also established recruitment booths, offering internship and employment opportunities and creating a direct pathway from campus innovation to industry employment.
Mao Mengnan, a 2015 graduate in Information Engineering, shared her experience transitioning into entrepreneurship. After working as an executive assistant in a large corporation, she joined the traditional braised-food brand Doulu Sesame Oil Duck Institute eighteen months ago. She now operates a franchise store in Nantang Old Street, where additive-free products have performed strongly in both online and offline markets. Mao encouraged students to participate in entrepreneurship through food-market ventures, noting that participants retain all profits while gaining valuable business experience.
Niu Ben, a 2024 graduate in Journalism, displayed his company’s leaf-carving products, which feature intricate designs engraved on leaves, phone cases, and stone surfaces. Enhanced by lighting effects, the works create striking visual displays. His company, Ningbo Haoniu Culture and Media Co., Ltd., has already attracted more than ten fellow alumni as partners and generates annual revenues of approximately RMB 400,000. The company is also preparing to launch “CloudFit,” an AI-powered virtual fitting platform integrating AIGC and 3D modeling technologies. Niu welcomed talented students with entrepreneurial aspirations to join the venture.
In just one afternoon, more than 100 students visited the fair to seek information and discuss opportunities. Several student teams reached preliminary cooperation agreements with alumni enterprises in areas including handicrafts, food processing, and media marketing.
One sophomore majoring in Product Design stopped at a booth promoting a traditional Chinese decorative knot-button project. Having long been interested in the craft, she expressed her intention to work with alumni entrepreneurs to develop the business further.
During the event, Zhu Bangxiang toured the fair, speaking with exhibitors about their products, customer traffic, and sales performance. University officials noted that alumni share common experiences, values, and trust developed during their time on campus, creating natural advantages for collaboration. Alumni networks and university resources can be readily integrated, making it easier to connect business channels, customer bases, and partnership opportunities.
According to ’s 2025 Graduate Employment Quality Report, the entrepreneurship rate among undergraduate graduates reached 9.21 percent. Over the past five years, the university’s graduate entrepreneurship rate has consistently remained around 10 percent, ranking among the highest in Zhejiang Province.
The Entrepreneurship Fair was organized by the Admissions and Career Services Office (Innovation and Entrepreneurship Institute), hosted in collaboration with the Ningbo Alumni Association and the Sino-German Faculty of Branding, and assisted by the Students’ Employment and Innovation Alliance.