SKEMA Business School, a French-headquartered private establishment of higher education and research, and Study@Dushu Lake, an SIP-based education firm, jointly hosted the 2019 SKEMA Elites’ Entrepreneurship Contest cum 4th Middle School Students’ Petanque Invitational at the school’s campus in SIP on Mar 30. Over 100 Chinese and overseas students from local schools participated. 

According to Matthieu Domont, dean of SKEMA Business School (Suzhou), the petanque invitational is held annually since 2016 to enhance exchange between Chinese and French youngsters. At this year’s event, after fierce competition, the team from Suzhou Science & Technology Town Foreign Language School (SSTTFLS) took the first place, along with a virtual fund of RMB 300,000 that could be used in the entrepreneurship contest in the afternoon, while the second and third place winners received virtual funds of RMB 200,000 and 100,000. 

In the entrepreneurship contest, the contestants took the challenges in a series of simulated business activities that require comprehensive entrepreneurial skills such as smart business strategies, excellent leadership abilities and teamwork. Finally, the team from SIP Dushu Lake School garnered the first prize, followed by teams from Suzhou Foreign Language School and SSTTFLS. Matthieu said they hope the contest can help increase students’ interest in starting their own businesses in the future and prepare them for that.