As the new semester begins, how to obtain more knowledge and enhance personal capabilities in the new school year is a common concern among college students. “I’ll be very busy this semester, because I signed up for the Banking Product Innovative Design Competition for College Students. I need to conduct surveys on customer requirements, read materials, and complete creative designs, setup of architecture of my works, creation processing and later-stage feedback. All this will put what I’ve learned and thought to test through the combination of theory with practice, and make the school year really meaningful,” said Xiao Zhang, a college student from Beijing born in the 1990s.

What Xiao Zhang signed up for is the Sixth “ICBC Cup” Banking Product Innovative Design Competition for College Students. Since the official opening of the event in June up to now, 10,000 students from around 1,000 universities across the country have submitted their designs so far. Given the flexible competition rules of “signing up and participating at any time you like”, entry applications are still being filed in large numbers so that more college students can show their talents on this platform.

The competition is aimed to promote “mass entrepreneurship and innovation”, and provide a stage where college students can display talents, boost their practical abilities, enhance employment and entrepreneurship, and realize their social value, with a view to raising the capability of social practice and promoting the spirit of innovation of college students.

In line with the booming development trend of Internet-based models, and the “dare to innovate and disrupt” characteristic of students born in the 1990s, this year’s competition consists of not only the classic banking product design contest, the highly-acclaimed precious metal mock trading contest, but also the popular “ICBC E-shopping” e-commerce platform experience and interactive activities, in both online and offline forms, which ensures students with different talents and interests have a stage to demonstrate their abilities. So far, phase 1 of the “ICBC E-shopping” e-commerce platform experience and interactive activities has been rolled out, with RMB5,000 “ICBC E-shopping” e-commerce platform coupons released; preparation for the precious metal mock trading contest is now under way and due to be launched in September; then student-turned financial masters will have an opportunity to display their investment skills.

Moreover, to encourage more college students to involve themselves in banking product innovation, the sponsor of the competition has set aside bonuses totaling RMB10,000 and prizes of equivalent value, and also offered internship opportunities to outstanding contestants, including straight job offers to winners of the competition.

According to an ICBC official, innovation is a catalyst for the progress of times, and also an unfailing driving force behind financial development. As a major commercial bank keen on innovation, ICBC, by consistently adhering to the idea of being open-minded and tolerant to innovation, will provide college students with a platform for innovation practice and value realization. And college students born in the 1990s, good at active thinking, will innovate and experiment bravely through this platform, and transform from “creative thinkers” in the ivory tower into innovation pioneers in society.