On November 22, eighteen international students from the School of Business Administration (MBA School) at Zhejiang Gongshang University—hailing from Indonesia, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, France, Belgium and other countries—were invited to take part in “Linking Science and Technology Worldwide — A Date with Shaoxing: 2025 Overseas Tech Talent Sustainable Development Exchange.” Held at the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) Haizhi Work Base in Shaoxing and hosted by the Shaoxing Association for Science and Technology, the event was co-organized by the Keqiao District Association for Science and Technology, Zhejiang Torch Productivity Promotion Center Co., Ltd., and Keqiao Academician Town. It offered the students an immersive journey that brought together cutting-edge science and technology, entrepreneurial practice and industry insight.
Focusing on the Frontiers of Science and Innovation, Inspiring Management Thinking
During the morning session on overseas tech talent exchange and matchmaking, the students first toured the CAST Haizhi Work Base, gaining an initial understanding of the platforms and policies China offers to attract high-level overseas talent, and experiencing Shaoxing’s sci-tech innovation ecosystem first-hand.
The sharing session that followed was equally compelling. Khalid Zahouily, an overseas talent who has put down roots in Shaoxing, drew on his own entrepreneurial journey to vividly recount his “date of science, technology and culture” with the city. Mshvemieradze Elene shared her cross-border entrepreneurship story and her deep impressions of China’s development, while her husband Xia Jinjin focused on “development opportunities in today’s China,” interpreting the entrepreneurial trends in Shaoxing and across the country to point the way for talent hoping to build a future in the city. Ermanno Miele delivered an innovative presentation on an “online Raman spectroscopy monitoring platform for manganese dissolution in lithium iron manganese phosphate (LMFP),” demonstrating the boundless potential of science and technology in powering Shaoxing’s industrial upgrading. The head of the CAST Haizhi Work Base (Shaoxing) then introduced the base and its talent needs on site.
The international students actively engaged with the speakers in lively discussion, exploring topics ranging from technology transfer and market prospects to management models and internship opportunities.
A Hike along Jianhu Lake, Experiencing the Industry-City Ecosystem
In the afternoon, the students took part in the themed walking event “Discover Shaoxing with the Association for Science and Technology.” At the Kuaijishan Yellow Wine Museum, they traced the development of Shaoxing’s time-honored industry and explored the scientific underpinnings of huangjiu culture. From learning about the brewing process to experiencing yellow wine culture and joining a pottery-sealing ceremony, they felt first-hand how Shaoxing’s traditional industries carry forward heritage while embracing innovation. They then visited Jianhuli, experiencing the vitality and energy of Shaoxing’s beautiful-village revitalization, before strolling along Jianhu Lake, taking in the natural beauty and cultural depth of the region amid its waters and hills.
This trip to Shaoxing is an important step in moving the education of ZJSU’s international students from “classroom-based understanding” to “practice-based perception.” Standing at the CAST Haizhi Base and listening to overseas scientists’ stories of entrepreneurship in Shaoxing; stepping into the yellow wine museum to feel the modern-day continuation of a thousand-year-old brewing craft; wandering along Jianhu Lake to witness the living practice of rural revitalization—these immersive experiences are opening yet another window for them to understand contemporary China.
Through this field visit, the students gained a direct feel for how Shaoxing weaves together traditional specialty industries, natural ecology and modern urban development into a vibrant industry-city-humanities ecosystem. This unique “immersive classroom” offered vivid case studies for understanding China’s local economy and business environment, further deepening the students’ multidimensional and comprehensive perception of contemporary China. We look forward to these future business leaders drawing on their own firsthand experiences in Zhejiang to tell the world a true, multidimensional and comprehensive story of China.
