On May 6, the international preliminary round of the Innovate Together Competition (ITC) was held at Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University in the Netherlands. Students from Tsinghua University’s Master of Engineering Management (MEM) Program formed cross-national teams with students from several international partner universities to engage in collaborative innovation and project presentations. Focusing on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the competition aims to promote cross-cultural collaboration and practical innovation in the context of international engineering education.

The competition was guided by the International Centre for Engineering Education under the auspices of UNESCO (ICEE), and jointly organized by the Engineering Management Education Center of Tsinghua University, University of Galway (UG), Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM), RWTH Aachen University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), École Centrale de Nantes (ECN), and other international partner universities. A total of 19 teams entered the preliminary round, with 107 students participating. The students came from more than 20 countries and regions, including China, the Netherlands, Germany, Ireland, and Italy.

Group photo of participating teachers and students

The opening ceremony was hosted by Professor Ting Li from Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM). Weifeng Qiao, Assistant Secretary-General of the International Centre for Engineering Education under the auspices of UNESCO (ICEE) and Associate Research Fellow at the Institute of Education, Tsinghua University; Jim Browne, Emeritus Professor and former President of University of Galway (UG); and Linning Cai, Associate Professor of the Department of Industrial Engineering, Tsinghua University and Deputy Director of the Engineering Management Education Center, attended the event and delivered remarks. Linning Cai spoke on behalf of Wei Zhang, Director of the Center. The guests noted that the ITC provides an important platform for students from international universities to engage in cross-cultural exchange and collaborative innovation, and plays a positive role in promoting international cooperation in engineering education.

Professor Ting Li hosts the ceremony

Guests deliver remarks

During the preliminary round, several cross-national teams composed of Tsinghua MEM students and students from international partner universities presented and exchanged ideas on topics such as intelligent manufacturing, sustainable business models, AI applications, and social innovation. The participating teams reported on their projects from the perspectives of technological implementation, business models, and social applications. The judging panel provided comments and engaged in discussions around project innovation, social impact, and cross-cultural collaboration.

Competition site

Judges exchange ideas and discuss with participating teams

The competition was held in a hybrid online and offline format. Experts and scholars from universities and industries, including Tsinghua University, University of Galway (UG), Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM), Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), RWTH Aachen University, and Chung Hua University in Taiwan, participated in the judging and discussions. The competition also introduced digital judging, intelligent assistance tools, and on-site interaction mechanisms, improving the efficiency of communication among cross-national teams and collaboration among judges. The digital scoring session was technically supported by Exam Star, a company represented by MEM alumnus Chen Cang.

In recent years, Tsinghua University's Master of Engineering Management Program has continuously expanded its international cooperation and practical learning platforms. Through international competitions, enterprise practice, overseas exchange, and other forms, the program provides students with diverse opportunities for international learning and exchange, and continues to enhance students' international engineering practice capabilities, cross-cultural communication skills, and collaborative innovation abilities. Some participating international students have already obtained summer internship opportunities in China and will continue to take part in the further development and implementation of ITC projects, further promoting the transformation of competition outcomes into real industrial applications. Next, the students will continue to participate in activities related to the ITC final round and carry out deeper innovation practice and cross-cultural collaboration with students from international partner universities.

Review of the ITC Preliminary Round

Contributed by: ITC Organizing Committee

Photos by: Lisan Zhang

Reviewed by: Haitao Wang, Ming Yu, Linning Cai