Tsinghua University held the inauguration ceremony for x-lab's new space at the Jianhua Building in Tsinghua University on September 20, 2023. The new space covers an area of over 3,000 square meters.

University officials, representatives, and guests inaugurate the new x-lab space at the ceremony.

YANG Bin, vice president of Tsinghua University; BAI Chong-En, dean of the School of Economics and Management at Tsinghua University (Tsinghua SEM); QIAN Yingyi, distinguished professor of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences at Tsinghua University, professor in the Department of Economics, and the fourth Dean of Tsinghua SEM (2006-2018); HE Ping, deputy dean of Tsinghua SEM; ZHU Xufeng, dean of the School of Public Policy and Management at Tsinghua University; WANG Tiefeng, chair of the Department of Chemical Engineering at Tsinghua University; LIU Qiang, chair of the Department of Precision Instruments at Tsinghua University; LI Jingshan, head of the Department of Industrial Engineering at Tsinghua University; ZHEN Shuning, dean of the Institute of Tsinghua University in Hebei; and leaders and representatives from as many as 20 schools, departments, and divisions attended the ceremony. Additionally, LI Yong, deputy director of the Investment Promotion Bureau of the Ministry of Commerce; the couple SHI Jinshan and LI Ran, top executives of Beijing Jiaxin Huijin Asset Management; David Fang, vice president of Corporate Affairs & Sustainability at Nestlé Zone Greater China; ZHANG Jinsheng, executive president of Tus-Holdings; and LU Min, vice president of Beijing Century Galaxy Technology Group, and guests from more than 20 partner institutions and dozens of entrepreneurial mentors, were present at the event.

YANG Bin, in his opening speech, said Tsinghua x-lab stands as a pivotal educational platform within the university and is dedicated to identifying and nurturing emerging creative and entrepreneurial talents. It aims to enhance students' abilities in creativity, leadership, critical thinking, collaboration, and business acumen. Using diverse approaches, the Tsinghua x-lab stimulates the innovative and entrepreneurial energies of teachers and students. It underscores the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration, bridges the gap between engineering and management, and places a strong emphasis on the commercialization of results. Embracing its role as a "technology broker," it aligns real-world business challenges with academic research, pioneers the construction of organized innovation models, and achieves a better fusion of technological innovation, talent cultivation, and industrial advancement. YANG said he hopes to see a growing number of start-up teams will find their innovative spark, nurture their entrepreneurial ventures, and propagate a culture of creation at x-lab.

YANG Bin delivers his speech.

In his address, BAI Chong-En said Tsinghua x-lab has been backed by robust support and active investment from the university and its various schools and departments since its inception, and it has benefitted from the enthusiastic engagement of alumni and all sectors of society. Thanks to those advantages, the lab continuously has made strides in both the theoretical and practical aspects of innovation and entrepreneurship education. It actively explores and innovates, championing the convergence of industry, academia and research within Tsinghua University. BAI said the new space will facilitate enhancements to the ecosystem-linking functionality of Tsinghua x-lab; it will also intensify its innovation capabilities and nurture innovative talents at the university. Looking ahead, Tsinghua x-lab aims to collaborate with diverse stakeholders while emphasizing efficient multilateral partnerships. It seeks to explore and promote the integrated development of education, technology, and talent, constructing a dynamic and scientifically comprehensive ecosystem for innovation and entrepreneurship. BAI said he looked forward to Tsinghua x-lab continuing to play a leading role in innovation and entrepreneurship education both within the university and nationally, nurturing innovative talents with global competence, diversity, and interdisciplinary skills, and striving to write a new chapter in China's development through science and education.

BAI Chong-En addresses the audience.

HE Ping introduced the Tsinghua x-lab platform during the ceremony, explaining its improvements during the past two years. The central mission of the Tsinghua x-lab is to discover and nurture innovative and entrepreneurial talents within Tsinghua University, enhance the efficiency of commercializing technological achievements, and realize China's innovation-driven development strategy. Over the last decade, Tsinghua x-lab has hosted 55,000 individual participants across its various courses and activities, with more than 2,000 project teams becoming part of the platform. Of these teams, 231 have secured investments, accumulating (based on incomplete data) funds in excess of 16.5 billion yuan. Developed as a collaborative initiative, the x-lab draws expertise from 17 schools and departments within the university and has forged partnerships with more than 160 leading corporations. The platform's significant achievements over the years owe much to the unwavering attention and support it receives from diverse sectors. X-lab has implemented a series of reforms to better focus on education in innovation and entrepreneurship. At the heart of these changes is the exploration and transformation of the "creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship" education model. This involved re-establishing the theoretical framework of this integrated model and upgrading Tsinghua University's innovation enhancement certification program. The SDG Hackathon, inspired by Tsinghua University's SDG Open Hack, is a crucial tool for cultivating students' innovative mindsets and capabilities, with continuous iterations and refinements made to the competition format. In collaboration with industry leaders, the platform has crafted vertically integrated, focus-driven spiral growth acceleration programs.

HE Ping said the new space will become a broader venue for Tsinghua students to interact, innovate, and explore, and will cater to diverse needs and create endless possibilities.

HE Ping delivers a speech.

After the inauguration, Tsinghua x-lab presented Gold Partner certificates to partners who were instrumental in supporting the platform's development over the past decade. Additionally, more than a hundred mentors offered free consultations and guidance to startup teams on the platform for an extended period. In recognition of their selfless dedication, Tsinghua x-lab awarded Outstanding Mentor certificates to mentors in attendance.

Representatives of Tsinghua x-lab's partners receive Gold Partner certificates.

Representatives of Tsinghua x-lab's entrepreneurial mentors receive Outstanding Mentor certificates.

Group photo of participants at the inauguration ceremony for Tsinghua x-lab's new space.