In February, our Insight Series for Venture Education subscribers was a fascinating discussion with Steven White, Professor of Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Strategy at Tsinghua University. There were three takeaways we would like to share.
01
CREATIVITY
We tend to use this word almost mythically and credit so much development to its magic; schools and universities very much enjoy putting it on their walls.
But what does it actually mean, how do we foster it, and is it the pathway to national success? What if we think, instead, of the concept of problem-solving, and consider how different education systems and cultures approach this?
02
INNOVATION
Does education encourage mastering something or creating something new?
If the former, is the path to innovation then through a follow-the-leader or proven success model? In some societies, lots of times there's not a second chance, either you win or you lose throughout your education and into your career. There are mavericks who do something different, but lots of people wait for them to lead the way, test it, then jump on it once it’s proven to be successful. This is a very rational way of doing things.
How can we create safe spaces for failure and feedback and growth within such a system?
03
TRUST
On a graph of trust over closeness, China starts very high. Trust in close family members is extremely high, but there is much less trust in a stranger. So there are really great opportunities to find partners and start a project or innovation initially, but fewer potential longer-term partners than in societies with a flatter curve.
What impact does this have on entrepreneurship? And how do we overcome the challenges that many start-ups and graduate projects face when a lack of group work throughout education, maintaining face, and a mistrust in relative strangers can cause things to crumble before they begin?
As a part of our subscription packages, Insight Series are off-the-record Q&As where education experts from the government, academia, and think tanks provide deep and frank insights into what is happening on the ground, and the underlying priorities and ideas shaping the education landscape.
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ALSO, if you have ever wondered about what is trending among Chinese parents and what ideas are shaping international education in China, follow our co-founder Zhubei for insightful dialogues and inspiring stories.
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