Ninghai county in Ningbo, Zhejiang province has implemented an innovative model involving nationwide university talent to tackle real-world problems, leading to significant urban and rural development.

In 2022, Ninghai county, in collaboration with Donghua University, launched a nationwide joint graduation design project, emphasizing practical and authentic project completion. Over the past three years, 171 universities and over 1,000 students and faculty members have contributed 456 design projects and 390 theses to Ninghai, many of which have been successfully implemented.

Last September, the 2024 National Joint Graduation Design project kicked off in Shanghai. Over the span of 10 months, students from 96 universities across the country converged in Ninghai. They tackled four major themes: art-based rural development, cultural tourism, urban renewal, and industrial upgrading. This initiative encouraged students to address real economic, social, and cultural issues through on-site research, creative solutions, and practical applications.

"Graduation designs that focus on these four major themes are more grounded and practical," said Chen Qingjun, secretary-general of the Graduation Design Committee and professor at Donghua University.

This year, students submitted 189 graduation design projects, with 24 projects being successfully implemented locally.

In the historic streets of Qiantong Ancient Town, visitors are now greeted by fabric canopies and illuminated characters, turning it into a popular nighttime attraction. This creative project was the graduation design of Xu Ting and Yao Yihong from the Communication University of China in Nanjing. They incorporated local historical figures and intangible cultural heritage items into their work.

The Ninghai loquats, with their newly designed packaging, were a hit during a live-streaming event, attracting over 1,000 viewers and selling more than 300 kilograms of loquats in just one hour. The innovative packaging was designed by Donghua University graduate Li Jiatian as part of his graduation design project.

The National Joint Graduation Design project has also facilitated collaboration between academia and industry.

Ningbo Tenghao Electronics Co Ltd, which has been deeply involved in the initiative for the past two years, purchased intellectual property rights for two design projects this year - a folding table and a barbecue grill, tailored by Zhang Xinwei and Hou Chenyang from Hefei University. 

"The creativity in the students' designs provides new ideas for our business," said Sun Liang, the company's general manager, "We plan to start manufacturing these designs in September.”