China – Italy creates “Bank of Ideas” to boost business

Italian Ambassador to China, Ettore Sequi, launched a “Bank of Ideas” to harness the power of innovation and the planning potential of future Italian executives in promoting the Italian corporate system in China. He made the announcement during a meeting at the Embassy with a delegation of the Master Global Management for China (GMC) of the Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, led by the Director, Professor Renzo Cavalieri. The “Bank of Ideas” will emerge out of a contest sponsored by the Embassy and open to MA students, who will be asked to submit proposals and projects that are innovative in terms of ideas, processes and analyses to meet the needs of companies and promote their presence on the Chinese market. The initiative is currently a pilot project, destined to be extended to all universities and research institutes with MA or post-graduate courses dedicated to China. This innovative experiment aims to maximise the knowledge and skills of China experts and put them at the service of Italian interests, establishing a closer connection with Italian institutions operating in China. The MA, organised in consortium with four major Italian universities active in research and teaching on China (Ca ‘Foscari University of Venice, University of Naples “L’Orientale”, Roma Tre University, and the University of Macerata), was developed in cooperation with the Embassy, with the Italian Chamber of Commerce in China, the Italy-China Foundation, the Italian Trade Agency (ICE) and the Confucius Institute at Ca’ Foscari University. The meeting at the Embassy was attended by 10 students of the current edition of the MA with their company tutors and another 10 former students who have already successfully entered the world of work. It highlighted the importance of “Sinology students” whose linguistic, cultural and managerial proficiency was perfected during the course, providing them with knowledge tools to help them operate in the world of Chinese business. “In China, innovation will be the key word over the coming years,” said Ambassador Sequi. “Italy is a country of innovation and it is with this spirit that we want to present ourselves and operate in this market. To act effectively in China we need to move with efficiency, organisation and cohesiveness, but also with a modern approach. We are looking for good ideas and we want to optimise the planning potential of our young managers, turning them into a common denominator instrumental to promoting the Italian corporate system in China.”