Turning personal life experience into an innovative business idea, second-year Finance student Zhang Yihua and her team members won the third prize and a cheque of JP¥100, 000 at the Kyoto International Entrepreneurship Contest for University Students 2019.
Held at Kyoto Keizai Centre and Kyoto Research Park (Japan) from 16 to 20 May 2019, the Kyoto International Entrepreneurship Contest is a multinational activity for university students. Start-up enthusiasts from universities around the world gather in Japan each year to pitch their business ideas, seize the opportunity of investments, and exchange ideas with potential business partners.
This year, the competition attracted more than 60 entries. A total of 26 projects were selected for semi-finals, among which 2 went to Xiamen University Malaysia (XMUM) applicants. Both teams entered the finals after stiff competition. One XMUM team won the prestigious third prize, and the other finished seventh. Participants from Nanjing Agricultural University (China) and South East University (China) took the top two prizes.
Zhang and her team members impressed the judges with their eco-friendly odourless toilets. The team, led by Zhang, comprised Li Shanshan from Electrical and Electronics Engineering Programme, Chen Yutong from International Business Programme and Lin Yuheng from Computer Science and Technology Programme.
Zhang Yihua related her experience:
“What we learn most during the competition is the importance of multilateral communication. The process of liaising with the organizing committee, the communication with our tutors on product specifications, and the ability to defend our product in front of the judges reward us with a unique blend of experience that will be valuable to our future undertakings.”
The team led by second-year Accounting student Zhao Xuanyu also drew audience’s attention and were approached by some observers to converse about the potential of their product. The team successfully explored new anode materials for battery, used in the electric vehicle market, with higher capacity and functional density.
Zhao’s project is a collaborative effort of students from XMUM and Ocean University of China. The team comprised Cai Jialing and Liu Ya from Accounting Programme, and Jiang Mingze from Ocean University of China.
“We are very glad to have the opportunity to attend this competition,” said Zhao Xuanyu after coming back from Kyoto.
“It’s really an amazing journey – preparing hard before the competition and getting the opportunity to communicate and learn from young entrepreneurs around the world. We gained confidence during the process and found our passion to pursue a greater future.”
