Young entrepreneurs mean business

About 100 students and teachers from all over the world were in Shanghai to sharpen their entrepreneurial edge.

The 2019 Belt and Road Youth Entrepreneurship Camp was organized by Shanghai Commercial Accounting School and Junior Achievement China, a non-profit educational organization.

During the session of business innovation challenges, students were divided into groups of mixed nationalities to design and present ideas on subjects, such as urban traffic, education and senior care.

A team of six members from China, the Philippines and South Korea, won the top prize with a smart phone app that helps craftsmen sell traditional products online.

Dong Chenzhang of Shanghai Commercial Accounting School, said the app also tells customers the provenance of the crafts they are buying, and gives them insights into the traditions behind the work.

“It’s great to have the opportunity to work with friends from other countries,” said Ni Nyoman Dea Intan Sari, from the Philippines. “The schedule is tight, but we've all enjoyed working with each other and learned a lot from one another.”

They also formed “companies” and competed in a “Future Entrepreneur Trade Fair Contest” targeting the Chinese market and consumption habits, helping participants understand the local business climate and global economy while managing "startups."

The camp included a round table discussion for teachers and a trip to Shanghai's own online travel agent Ctrip to see how a real business operates.