[Toward 2035: Integration and Innovation for the Future] AI Special Session of Hunan Entrepreneurship Masters Lecture Series Held at HUTB

2025-05-31

On the morning of May 30, the "Star Innovation Shines, Creating Hunan's Future" Hunan University Student Entrepreneurship Mentor Campus Tour & Entrepreneurship Masters Lecture Hall (AI Special Session), jointly organized by the Department of Science and Technology of Hunan Province and the Department of Education of Hunan Province, was held at HUTB.

Professor Chen Xiaohong, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Secretary of the CPC HUTB Committee, and Director of Xiangjiang Laboratory, led the "Entrepreneurship Mentor Group" in sharing AI startup experiences and addressing entrepreneurial queries with faculty and students from 15 universities, including Central South University, Hunan University, Hunan Normal University, Changsha University of Science & Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, and HUTB. Nearly 200,000 faculty members and students attended the lecture through both online and offline channels. Attending the event were: Li Zhijian, Secretary of the CPC Leading Group of the Department of Science and Technology of Hunan Province; Chai Shiqin, Director General Level Officer (Grade I) of the Department of Education of Hunan Province and Deputy Director of the Hunan Provincial Office for Coordinating College Student Entrepreneurship Support; Zhou Bin, Member of the CPC Leading Group and Deputy Director-General of the Department of Science and Technology of Hunan Province; in-service Chief Leaders of HUTB; and representatives from the Hunan Provincial College Student Entrepreneurship Mentor Group. The lecture was chaired by Deputy Director-General Zhou Bin.

Li Zhijian expressed that Hunan is striving to build itself into a fertile ground for college student entrepreneurship, and sincerely welcomes students from across the country to come to Hunan with their backpacks to start businesses. Here, there are stages to showcase talent, platforms for resource matching, forums for mutual learning, and arenas for hard work and competition. He hopes that students will seize policy opportunities, closely integrate their life dreams and career plans with serving society, actively join the tide of innovation and entrepreneurship, and in the practice of realizing the "Three Highlands, Four New Missions" blueprint, write their own splendid life stories.

Academician Chen Xiaohong delivered a lecture titled "Answering the Must-Answer Questions of AI Entrepreneurship", sharing insights on three key themes: "The Era's Question: Why Choose AI Entrepreneurship?" "Technological Foundations: What Must AI Entrepreneurs Master?" "Sector Selection: What Can AI Entrepreneurship Achieve?" She pointed out that as the new wave of technological and industrial revolution centered on artificial intelligence continues to gain momentum, the tide of AI entrepreneurship is vigorously rising. At this historic juncture where digital civilization intersects with industrial civilization, AI entrepreneurship has transcended mere technological innovation, evolving into a defining question of our era that shapes global economic and social development. The Party and state place high importance on the development of artificial intelligence. Currently, artificial intelligence has become the focal point of global competition and cooperation, the core of developing new quality productive forces, and the surging momentum driving innovation and entrepreneurship.

Academician Chen Xiaohong stated that today's world is in the midst of a digital economy wave, where global development is accelerating through AI empowerment and achieving breakthroughs through innovation and entrepreneurship. AI empowerment serves as a powerful force driving innovation, while innovative development is the key that unlocks the door to the future. To cultivate young innovative and entrepreneurial talents for the AI era, we must implement "Five Major Transformations": from traditional thinking patterns to digital intelligence thinking, from disciplinary specialization to interdisciplinary approaches, from a focus on theoretical research to a focus on innovative practices, and from traditional evaluation criteria to comprehensive evaluation standards, thus promoting a deep fusion of science, technology, and humanities and arts. Through convergent innovation in technologies such as large models, AI agents, embodied intelligence, brain-inspired intelligence, edge computing & edge AI, autonomous intelligent unmanned systems, and quantum computing, artificial intelligence is advancing from weak AI to strong AI and pan-AI. This expansion has broadened the technical methodologies for innovation and entrepreneurship while enriching their application scenarios.

Regarding what can be done in AI entrepreneurship, Academician Chen Xiaohong proposed that in the artificial intelligence era, college student entrepreneurship can focus on three key pathways: lightweight innovation, interdisciplinary integration, and social needs-driven development; and concentrate on three entrepreneurial domains: vertical industry intelligence enhancement, frontier technology convergence, and social demand-driven solutions. She shared relevant classic cases and advised university students to draw practical experience from these success stories. She further presented the AI innovation and entrepreneurship achievements of Xiangjiang Laboratory and the AI innovation practices of HUTB. Addressing all university students across the province, she encouraged them to "wield innovation as their blade and ride dreams as their vessel", bravely venturing into this blue ocean of opportunity to write their own glorious chapters.

During the lecture's Q&A session, students raised questions such as: "Can non-AI majors choose the AI entrepreneurship track?" and "How can one better master core AI technologies?" Academician Chen Xiaohong enthusiastically responded, advising that for university students choosing the AI track, they must not only develop digital literacy and technical application capabilities, but also cultivate systemic thinking for cross-domain integration. To master core AI technologies, she emphasized using data for analysis and decision-making while actively learning new algorithms. Building upon a solid professional knowledge foundation, students should vigorously engage in convergent entrepreneurial practices involving large models, intelligent agents, and other advanced technologies. Faculty and students enthusiastically applauded the insightful lecture and dynamic interaction.

Subsequently, Associate Researcher Yuan Yige, Deputy Director of the Industrialization Department at Xiangjiang Laboratory, shared practical insights on how the "No Blind Spot" Smart Platform empowers AI innovation and entrepreneurship talent development. Through a hybrid virtual-physical format, she demonstrated the platform's functionalities—including intelligent algorithm development, human-machine collaboration, policy analysis, and an emotional support "Tree Hole" feature—equipping university students to set sail on their journeys of innovation, entrepreneurship, and personal growth. Liu Xinghua, Director of Hunan Jinhou Law Firm, delivered a lecture titled "Entrepreneurial 'Bulletproof Vest': A Comprehensive Guide to Legal Risk Prevention for College Startups". Su Xing, founding investor of Hunan Qiuxiu Sports Technology Co., Ltd. and a "Golden Seed" athlete selected for "Gold Rush 2025", delivered a keynote titled "Taking Root in Hunan’s Fertile Ground: Intelligently Crafting a New Sports Tech Ecosystem".

After the event, university students who attended the lecture universally expressed feeling profoundly enlightened. Luo Weiwei from Central South University remarked: "Academician Chen Xiaohong’s lecture was systematic and comprehensive, giving me a holistic understanding of AI entrepreneurship. The 'No Blind Spot' platform can help me better grasp Hunan Province’s policies supporting student startups. Director Liu Xinghua explained legal risks and countermeasures for entrepreneurship with profound yet accessible insights. Su Xing emphasized that perseverance is indispensable for entrepreneurial success."

Wu Wentao from Hunan University commented: "Attending this AI entrepreneurship lecture was profoundly inspiring. AI technology has deeply integrated into the commercial ecosystem—from intelligent market insights to personalized service customization, from automated process optimization to innovative business model construction—demonstrating remarkable potential. As student entrepreneurs, we should actively embrace AI and transform it into a powerful tool for innovation, writing new chapters in entrepreneurship."

Yu Feng from HUTB stated: "Academician Chen Xiaohong’s brilliant lecture revealed the vast potential of AI implementation, vividly demonstrating how AI can reconstruct traditional industries and drive unprecedented transformation for socioeconomic development. Only by combining humanity’s unique creativity with advanced technology can we inject new vitality into traditional sectors and propel societal progress."

Li Danyang from Changsha University of Science and Technology remarked: "Today’s lecture significantly deepened my understanding of AI applications in innovation and entrepreneurship—including current trends in the field, the synergistic effects of their integration, and the boundless potential for future development. It effectively cultivated our innovative thinking and entrepreneurial approaches, making innovation and entrepreneurship more practically feasible."

(Written by Zhang Gaoyang, Zhang Yi and Chen Dan and photo by network media)