Sino-US Makers Co-creating the Future

　　On June 19th, the 10th Anniversary Commemoration Ceremony of the "Chunhui Cup" China Returned Overseas Students' Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition and the launch ceremony of the 2015 Sino-US Youth Makers Competition were held in Pittsburgh, USA. Representatives from academia and the business sectors of both China and the US agreed that young entrepreneurs and makers from both countries have caught a good opportunity and are becoming a new highlight of Sino-US cultural exchange. Intel CEO Brian Krzanich said: "China is already one of the global innovation centers. We are excited to contribute to the maker movement and cultural exchange between Chinese and American youth, hoping to support innovation through the company's advanced technology, global vision, and international resources, and build a bridge for international exchange and cooperation for young innovators from both countries."

　　As one of the supporting activities of the high-level consultations on Sino-US cultural exchanges, the Sino-US Youth Makers Competition this year takes "Creating a Shared Future" as its theme, focusing on sustainable development areas such as community, education, health, transportation, environmental protection, and energy. It combines innovative design concepts and cutting-edge technologies to create new products or applications with both industrial and social value. According to the competition process, the winning teams from the preliminary rounds in China and the US will compete in the final round in China in mid-August this year.

　　In the past 10 years, the "Chunhui Cup" Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition has selected 1654 innovation and entrepreneurship projects from returned overseas students, among which more than 300 projects have been incubated domestically, covering multiple fields such as electronic information, biomedicine, new materials, and new energy. Among the shortlisted projects in the previous nine competitions, projects from returned overseas students from the US accounted for 41.5%, and a North American division was added for the first time this year.

　　Pittsburgh was once a famous industrial city in the US, known as the "Steel City." However, industrial development also brought billowing smoke and dust to the city. With the decline of the steel industry, Pittsburgh's development also once faded. Locals told reporters that now, relying on finance, healthcare, and manufacturing, Pittsburgh, located in the US "Rust Belt," has successfully transformed into a nationally renowned innovation and entrepreneurship capital, achieving a "double harvest" of prosperity and green development. The launch ceremony of the Sino-US Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Project held here this year has a special significance.

　　Lei Bao, a master's student in business administration at the University of Bridgeport, USA, is a winner of the 9th "Chunhui Cup." Her winning project will soon be implemented in Nanjing. By participating in the "Chunhui Cup" Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition, Lei Bao deeply realized that China is in an opportune period for entrepreneurship, especially with the government's support for mass entrepreneurship and innovation. Lei Bao said that the cooperation between China and the US has shifted from the economy to innovation and creativity, and both sides have much to learn from each other. China's learning from the US's experience in cultivating entrepreneurs across society will also help the American people to experience the Chinese people's ability in innovation and entrepreneurship up close. Taking mobile internet as an example, Chinese people are more confident in this field, and the US should learn from China, thereby further promoting equal competition and equal dialogue between China and the US.

　　Nathan Smilyak, a biomedical engineer at the University of Pittsburgh, as a representative of American young makers, said in an interview with this reporter that although there are differences in the history, culture, and development stages between the US and China, these differences also mean opportunities for complementarity and cooperation. The exchange of ideas between young people from both countries in innovation and entrepreneurship is conducive to enhancing mutual understanding and cultivating a group of young talents with innovative consciousness and international vision. He is full of confidence that this cooperative force will inevitably have a positive and profound impact on the next generation of both countries. More importantly, in various cutting-edge fields such as new energy, the US and China, working together, can provide innovative solutions to common challenges faced by countries around the world.