The 2025 iSpark International Entrepreneurship Competition, held at Jiangxi Vocational College of Foreign Studies (JXCFS), highlighted growing efforts to align vocational education with market demands amid China's push for enhanced Belt and Road cooperation. Taking place over two days, the competition featured 70 entrepreneurial projects from 270 young entrepreneurs representing eight countries and 16 universities.
JXCFS, established in 1964, saw strong performances from its students, with two teams securing gold medals for projects focused on “Green Bamboo Technology” and “microporous and light porcelain.” Additionally, JXCFS students earned two bronze medals and two awards of excellence, underscoring the college’s commitment to fostering innovation.
On June 27, 2025, the Tiangong College Alliance was launched at JXCFS, uniting 101 universities and colleges along with 18 enterprises in Jiangxi province. Named after Tiangong Kaizwu, a Ming Dynasty scientific work by Jiangxi native Song Yingxing, the alliance aims to expand the integration of industry and education. Within six months, Tiangong Workshops were set up in seven countries, including the alliance’s first in Southeast Asia at Malaysia’s Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology.
JXCFS President Zhu Longliang emphasized the need for vocational education to innovate in ways that effectively support industrial needs. Jiangxi province is currently experiencing a significant economic transformation, with more than 2,000 e-commerce enterprises requiring versatile talent and rural revitalization efforts demanding expertise to enhance agricultural product marketing.
Xu Zhenjing, head of a local cross-border e-commerce company, highlighted a gap between recruitment and practical skills. "Many recruits lack knowledge of ERP systems, overseas warehouse operations, and even basic cross-border logistics," he said, pointing to shortcomings in the traditional talent training model that struggles to meet industry requirements.
In response, JXCFS has restructured its talent cultivation approach around three pillars: enhanced school-enterprise cooperation, leveraging competitions to boost learning, and integrating theoretical knowledge with practical experience. This strategy includes the development of over 30 courses and 15 practical training manuals, as well as facilitating student participation in school, provincial, and national contests, which has benefited approximately 2,000 students.
The college has also invested more than 30 million yuan ($4.4 million) in campus and external training bases, supporting hands-on learning opportunities. Vice President Rao Jianhua noted the establishment of over 100 off-campus teaching bases. Students like Liu Cheng, an international business major, have benefited from this approach through semester-long projects and extended internships, gaining real-world experience in market research and cross-border e-commerce operations.
For faculty, the integration with industry has transformed teaching methods. Liu and Huang Jiajing, an e-commerce instructor, described a shift from textbook-based instruction to active involvement in enterprise projects, with 65 percent of teachers now holding dual qualifications combining academic and professional expertise.
Zhou Wei, dean of innovation and entrepreneurship, reported that JXCFS’s initiatives have assisted more than 200 local enterprises in exploring international markets, contributing to regional economic development. The employment rate for 2023 graduates reached 97.8 percent, with starting salaries rising by 32 percent compared to 2020.
Party Secretary Yan Bin outlined the college’s broader ambition to evolve from merely supplying talent to becoming a central hub in regional innovation systems. By 2027, the Tiangong College Alliance aims to establish a globally recognized vocational education brand, further supporting China’s Belt and Road Initiative through Jiangxi’s development model.