General Concept

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The “Innovation Leader Program” is a postgraduate training program for innovation and entrepreneurship jointly implemented by the Beijing Institute of Collaborative Innovation (BICI) and several world-renowned universities. The initial stages of the program have achieved the goal of developing professional innovation and entrepreneurs by breaking down the barriers between nations, universities, and knowledge.

General Concept

Training Objective

To develop innovative engineers and operation engineers with an outstanding innovative spirit, deep professional expertise, and excellent professional skills capable of creatively solving complex practical problems.

Training Concept

To realize the cultivation of innovative talents and the innovation of training through a system based on knowledge education, centered around capacity development, and guided by future development.

Training Model

The “4 Doubles” training model is used to develop masters and doctoral students in engineering technology (including machinery, electronic information, materials, environment, biomedical engineering, etc.), technology design, and innovation and entrepreneurship management, forming a comprehensively innovation and entrepreneurship talent cultivation system.


Double Classrooms: ILP Students study their first year at a university and complete the majority of their course work as required for their degree. In years two to three for masters students (or two to four for doctoral students) , students take innovation and entrepreneurship courses across different disciplines, along with practical training in research institutes based on real-world projects.


Double Assessments: Both the student’s professional theory knowledge and their scientific research and development performance on the project are assessed. Upon fulfilling all degree and project requirements, a degree from university and a BICI certificate will be awarded.


Double Identities: ILP students acquire knowledge and skills as students, but also participate in real scientific research and transformation or entrepreneurial projects at the institute as “innovation and entrepreneurship trainees”. The trainees are eligible for scholarships, project funding, and a share of the proceeds from scientific research results.


Double Mentors: Academic mentors are university professors responsible for guiding theoretical study, while innovation mentors are senior researchers, industry experts, and management personnel responsible for guiding research projects and entrepreneurship training. The mentors work together to jointly guide the thesis.


Each professional program includes three modules: Basic Professional Theory, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Methods, and Practical Innovation and Entrepreneurship. The content of the Basic Professional Theory courses varies with the student discipline, the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Methods courses are all the same, and the Practical Innovation and Entrepreneurship courses are carried out by establishing an interdisciplinary team in accordance with the needs of the project.

Made up of compulsory and optional courses, the module primarily teaches the basic theories and methods of relevant disciplines, and has been jointly designed by partner universities and the research institutes.

Basic Professional Theory

The courses of this module are mandatory for all disciplines. The module was designed by the institute to teach methods and skills for identifying problems and integrating knowledge, and consists of three courses:

Product Management and Design: Teaches the fundamental principals and methods of product management and design to improve the product planning and implementation capacity of students.

Technical Analysis: Systematically introduces the latest representative technical achievements in various fields, analyzes the characteristics of and application potential of each achievement, and opens up technical horizons.

Business Model Innovation: Teaches the fundamental principles of business models and methods of technology commercialization such as project management, investment management, and project planning.

Innovation and Entrepreneurship Methods

The courses of this module are mandatory for all disciplines. The module conducts scientific research and entrepreneurship training based on real institute projects to improve the practical skills of students, and consists of the following:


Planning-Every student shall participate in the evaluation and demonstration of institute research or entrepreneurship projects, or independently propose topics and carry out demonstrations.


Realization- Every student shall independently establish a project to carry out scientific research or entrepreneurship training (or participate in an institute research or entrepreneurial team) to undertake specific professional tasks with a certain level of difficulty.

Practical Innovation and Entrepreneurship

What is the “Innovation Leader Program”?

A program jointly established by the Beijing Institute of Collaborative Innovation (BICI) and world-class universities to cultivate students with innovation and entrepreneurial abilities.  

Which students are eligible for the “Innovation Leader Program”?

Outstanding undergraduate and masters students studying optoelectronics, bioengineering, materials, smart manufacturing, environmental protection, and their interdisciplinary fields with a strong affinity towards innovation or entrepreneurship.

How do I apply?

By taking an exam in accordance with the instructions of the relevant partner university.

What is the goal of the program?

To develop innovative engineers and operation talents with an outstanding innovative spirit, deep professional expertise, and outstanding professional skills capable of creatively solving complex practical problems.

What is the program’s training model?

The program uses a “4X” training model that features dual-track courses, tutoring, hands-on experience, and evaluations. In specific, this means that after students are admitted, they will study foundational professional theory courses at the partner university for the first year. In the second and third years for master’s students or second to fourth years for doctoral students, The BICI provides courses on innovation and entrepreneurship. Students will also join inter-school and inter-disciplinary professional teams to conduct practical innovation and entrepreneurship training based on real-life projects. University tutors educate students in theory, while innovation tutors cultivate their ability to solve practical problems. The BICI pays students a remuneration and shares in a portion of the commercialization proceeds, and grants degrees and certifications in accordance with the level of theory training and the actual effect of innovation and entrepreneurship.

What are the highlights of the program?

Through practical projects (those where original technologies are transformed from scientific research and development to market realization), innovative and entrepreneurial thinking is cultivated in students in a professional manner. In addition to the foundational professional theory courses offered by partner universities, students must also take the BICI’s innovation and entrepreneurship courses, participate in real-life projects, complete the “project planning, research and transformation, and student interest” training modules, and develop into an innovative engineer or operation talents capable of solving complex practical problems.