To strengthen innovation education for international students, raise the quality of their training, and cultivate high-caliber international talent with a spirit of innovation, a sense of social responsibility, and a global outlook, Tongji University is launching its First International Student Innovation Competition.

Details are as follows:

1. Eligibility and Requirements

Participants: Currently enrolled international students at Tongji University.

The competition accepts team entries only. Each team must have between 3 and 15 members (including the team leader).The team leader must be an international student, and at least half of the team members shall be international students. Each student may participate in only one project. Teams may invite faculty members and industry experts to serve as advisors, with no more than 3 advisors per project.

Projects must promote positive values and be truthful, healthy, and lawful. They must not contain any content that violates the Constitution of the People's Republic of China or any other applicable laws or regulations. Any inventions, patented technologies, or resources involved must have clear and lawful intellectual property or proprietary rights. Projects that contain confidential information must be desensitized before submission. Any plagiarism, misappropriation of others' work, submission of false materials, or other conduct that violates relevant laws and regulations or the spirit of the competition will result in immediate disqualification, forfeiture of any awards received, and full legal liability.

2. Project Content

The competition is focused on the transformation and upgrading of industries such as manufacturing, agriculture, healthcare, energy, environmental protection, and strategic emerging industries, as well as on new products, services, business formats, and models that integrate artificial intelligence and digital technology with education, healthcare, transportation, finance, consumer life, and cultural communication. Participating projects shall have a strong concept and a reasonably developed product prototype or service model.

International students are encouraged to draw on their cross-cultural backgrounds and combine a global perspective with local character in their project design — for example, pairing traditional Chinese festivals with signature celebrations from their home countries to create themed event series, build cultural and heritage brands, and foster multicultural dialogue through interactive exchange.

3. Schedule

(1) Registration

By May 31, 2026, each team leader should submit:

Electronic materials (PDF) to 25666539@tongji.edu.cn

Required materials:

1. Registration Form for the Tongji University International Student Innovation Competition (see Attachment).

2. Project Proposal — no fixed format; each team designs and writes its own. The proposal should typically include, but is not limited to: cover page, project introduction, innovation highlights, product description, market analysis, company plan, organizational structure, marketing strategy, and financial projections. Any additional supporting documents should be appended to the proposal.

(2) Preliminary Review

The International Student Office will convene a panel of expert judges to review all submitted materials. Projects that pass this review will advance to the final round.

(3) Final Round

The International Student Office will arrange mentors to coach the finalist teams. Finalists will give an in-person presentation and defense, after which the final rankings will be determined.

4. Awards

The competition will offer First, Second, and Third Prizes. The number of awards in each category will be determined proportionally based on the number of entries received. The International Student Office will issue certificates of honor to all winning teams and provide funding support for their projects.

Attachment: Registration Form for the Tongji University International Student Innovation Competition 报名表.docx

International Student Office, Tongji University

School of Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Tongji University

Communist Youth League Committee, Tongji University

April 20, 2026