The finals of the 2nd Governing China: University Student Governance Case Analysis Competition and Case Analysis Competition for International Students in China on Understanding Chinese-Style Modernization wrapped up in Jingmen, Hubei Province on Apr. 25.
Nearly 200 student participants and observers took part in the event, including 38 international students from 24 countries, including Germany, Russia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Japan, Uzbekistan, Belgium and others.
This year’s competition was launched in November 2025 by Fudan’s School of International Relations and Public Affairs (SIRPA), aiming to provide a platform for Chinese and international students to reflect on vital topics such as urban and rural development, digital governance and sustainability. 80 teams from 33 universities advanced to the finals this year.
The top prize in international student track this year went to a team from Sichuan University, who focused on the ecological revitalization model of Yuncun, a village in Zhejiang. The team has 5 members from Pakistan, Bangladesh and China.
“I learned a lot while walking and listening to the presentations, especially the one about the Yuncun, because we also have similar problems in my country,” said Uzbek student Sherbek. Sherbek was an undergraduate student at Fudan majoring in Economics and was invited to Jingmen as a competition observer.
“In my previous studies, one thing I always felt severely lacking is a connection to real world problems and how to solve them,” Jakob, an exchange student at Fudan said, “Creating an opportunity for young people to engage with a challenge in their local community or broader society to practice problem analysis and policy formulation is really valuable.”
Besides the competition, students are also invited on a study tour on local firms, ecological parks, cultural sites and other spots representing the model of local governance. For Jakob, the highlight was the visit to the Great Wall manufacturing site.
“This is something that I had never seen before, and the investment center, where I learned about how Jingmen markets itself to companies as a potential production location.”
According to Jakob, Jingmen itself doesn't have the geographical luck to be very close to any natural wonder, unique historical site or important trading hub. “It has to be proactive and creative in developing and promoting itself. I'm rooting for them.”
Related to the winning team’s topic on sustainable development, Zhanghe Reservoir was another well-received stop for international students.” Zhanghe is an incredible example of the water management system in action. I don’t think I’ve ever seen water so blue.” said Anastasiia, a Chinese language student at Fudan.
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Writer: WANG Jingyang
Editor: WANG Mengqi, LI Yijie
