On December 24, the School of Economics and Management (SEM) at China University of Mining and Technology (CUMT) hosted the university-level selection round for the 2026 National College Business Elite Challenge Brand Planning Competition in the B108 Lecture Hall of the SEM building. The event was organized by the Youth League Committee of CUMT, with the SEM Youth League Committee and the Department of Business Administration serving as co-organizers.
Six faculty members—Liu Manzhi, Mou Yupeng, Wang Xiaozhen, Lü Xueqing, He Xianan, and Zhang Mengmeng—served as judges. The competition attracted 29 teams and more than 230 undergraduate and graduate students from multiple schools across the university.
Following an anonymous preliminary review, 21 teams advanced to the on-site selection round. During the competition, each team delivered a project presentation and participated in a Q&A session with the judging panel. The proposals addressed a range of brand development challenges and presented comprehensive plans covering market research, brand positioning, visual identity design, promotional strategies, and financial budgeting.
The project topics spanned diverse areas such as intangible cultural heritage creative products, rural revitalization, regional branding, local cultural tourism, and healthy light-food brands. Many proposals demonstrated strong cultural insight, forward-looking perspectives, and practical business value, reflecting students’ awareness of real-world economic and social issues. Some teams also adopted scenario-based presentations to enhance the storytelling and impact of their proposals, showcasing both solid professional knowledge and innovative thinking among SEM students.
The judging panel evaluated the projects from multiple perspectives, including problem identification, analytical rigor, innovation, feasibility, and business logic, and provided detailed feedback and guidance to each team.
The National College Business Elite Challenge Brand Planning Competition is recognized as one of the 47 high-level academic competitions designated by the Ministry of Education. SEM has organized and participated in this competition for eight consecutive years. This year’s event recorded the highest level of participation to date, with notable improvements in topic selection, data analysis, proposal innovation, and implementation planning.
The competition not only provided students with a valuable opportunity to apply professional knowledge in real-world business scenarios, but also strengthened their teamwork, presentation, and comprehensive problem-solving skills, laying a solid foundation for future academic competitions and career development. The event also highlighted SEM’s achievements in talent cultivation, practice-oriented education, and academic competition organization, reflecting the School’s vibrant academic culture and commitment to innovation in education.
SEM will continue to enhance its competition training system, providing students with more opportunities to participate in high-level academic competitions and further improving the quality of practice-oriented talent development.
Photo & Text: Wang Jingrui, Zhang Tieyan
First Review: Jiang Hongyan
Second Review: Li Xinchun
