Author: Huang Xinlin, Lin Jie

Publisher：China Youth Daily: 

Date：April 17, 2024

The launch ceremony of the 2024 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area College Student Creative Festival took place on April 13, 2024, at Jinan University, marking the beginning of a grand celebration of creativity and innovation among college students in the region.

Building on the success of the previous Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Innovation Festival, which attracted nearly 4,000 submissions from across the globe and involved close to 300 universities, this year's festival promises even greater engagement and participation. The festival will span across Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao, introducing new initiatives such as the Top 10 Hong Kong Creative Youth in the Bay Area award and the Bay Innovation 100 classroom. These additions aim to connect young creative talents, fostering collaboration and advancing the integrated development of industry, academia, and research.

(At the launch ceremony)

During the launch ceremony, Wang Fujun, a member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China Haizhu District Committee and Minister of the United Front Work Department, highlighted the significance of this year's festival coinciding with the 5th anniversary of the Development Plan Outline for the Greater Bay Area. He emphasized the festival's role in showcasing the innovative prowess of college students and contributing to the region's reputation as a hub for creativity and entrepreneurship.

Under the theme Let's Go! Explorer, the festival encourages youth to embark on uncharted territories, embrace new challenges, and push the boundaries of innovation. Cai Zhanpeng, chairman of the festival, introduced the Bay Innovation 100 program, offering selected participants exclusive mentorship and training by experts in various fields. Additionally, the launch ceremony unveiled Inspiration College, a comprehensive platform for managing competitions, enabling students and faculty to engage in contests, register for events, and oversee their submissions seamlessly.

The festival features three competition categories: New Experience in Qingyuan, Let's Go with Food Tourism, Self Declaration, and City Context, Beauty of Architecture. Particularly noteworthy is the focus on engaging youth in rural revitalization efforts through the exploration of Qingyuan's agricultural and cultural landscape. Students will have the opportunity to capture the essence of Qingyuan's agriculture and tourism industries through photography and storytelling.

The preliminary stage of the competition runs from April 13 to July 5, 2024, culminating in a final round where shortlisted contestants will present their refined creative projects based on a new challenge. The festival promises to be a platform for young minds to showcase their ingenuity, collaborate with peers, and contribute to the vibrant creative ecosystem of the Greater Bay Area.