The Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2008 was held during April 11-13, 2008 in Boao, Hainan Province, China, with the theme of “Green Asia: Moving Towards Win-Win Through Changes”.

The night of April 11th witnessed the Seminar on “Entrepreneurship & Dreams” co-chaired by STEFG and SOHO China in Kempinski Hotel in the city, hosted by Pan Shiyi, Chairman of SOHO China. As a pre-heated activity to the “Global Entrepreneurship Week 2008 China ”, the seminar proved to be a hub for many successful entrepreneurs at home and abroad, investors and senior executives to exchange ideas. Mr.Zhang Dewang, Secretary-General of STEFG and other keynote speakers, most of whom are chairman from world-famous enterprises, made their speeches during the seminar.

All the participants voiced their in-depth views on the topic of “Entrepreneurship and Dreams”, exchanged entrepreneurial ideas and experience, discussed the entrepreneurial decision-making, environment and challenges facing the youth, in particular, the graduates as well as problems such as risks and uncertainties the graduate will be confronted in entrepreneurship. They also shared insights into how to inspire the entrepreneurship of the young generation, how to create the entrepreneurial culture in China and how to build an entrepreneurial nation.

During the discussion, all the guests reached consensus on the importance and imperative to explore a new mode of entrepreneurship investment to support the entrepreneurship for the graduate in a way to shape China into an innovative country and to raise the whole nation's awareness of innovation and entrepreneurship. And they attached great importance to the entrepreneurship education and culture in promoting the entrepreneurship imperative.

Zhang Dewang, Secretary-General of STEFG

Our Foundation was established against the backdrop where the government calls for the establishment of an innovative country, universities hopes to advance the educational reform and students want to unleash their entrepreneurial enthusiasm. It is the first non-profit public foundation served for pushing ahead the scientific and technological entrepreneurial behaviors by the graduate. With the purpose and vision of “Encourage innovation and entrepreneurship to improve innovative environment; promote commercialization of scientific and technological breakthrough to help accelerate education reform; and to inspire innovative potential to cultivate creative and entrepreneurial talents”, STEFG aims at promoting the entrepreneurship for the graduate and creating the social environment for innovation and entrepreneurship. Up to now, we have sponsored 252 entrepreneurial projects for the graduate, among which, more than 130 have been approved as inventory and patents (including software copy rights).

Tang Min, Deputy Secretary-General of China Reform and Development Foundation

At present, it is imperative that university students need entrepreneurship education. It's our responsibility to plant the seeds of entrepreneurship in the graduates'. It's even more important to take entrepreneurship training and a service system for entrepreneurship which will be beneficial to entrepreneurship not only for the graduate but also for other entrepreneurs. The key point is a broad area of knowledge and training are needed, during which successful cases are shared by the entrepreneurs.

Li Yifei, CEO of MTV, Great China

Nowadays, entrepreneurship for the graduate is far from being popular. Job-hunting remains to be the foremost choice by the graduate. China still lacks the entrepreneurship culture. What we haven't realized is that innovation per se is a kind of success. The innovative spirit should arise from education and culture.

Zhang Yue, CEO of Broad Air Conditioner , China

Self-confidence and sincerity are the two most important elements in entrepreneurship. Those who score success own their ace to their talent on one hand and education on the other hand. Most start-ups are driven by the motivation to open a broad horizon for their future development. With such an aspiration, whether succeed or not is mot important, as what you have done is not for the sake of short-term interests.

Neil Shen (Shen Nanpeng), Founder and Executive Partner of the Sequoia Capital

While hailing entrepreneurship, we should attach importance to the optimal allocation of the social resources. One of the existing problems is that many entrepreneurs are eager to succeed but with no sufficient preparation for the entrepreneurship. Therefore, we should take a more rational mindset. Most of the entrepreneurs start up their own business with a dream, which keeps him moving ahead. It is this dream and aspiration that makes a successful entrepreneur.

Ren Zhiqiang, Chairman of Beijing Huayuan Group

To cultivate the entrepreneurship and create the entrepreneurial environment in the society is very important. Failure is tolerated by the society, so are those youngsters who adopt values different from the theme values in our society. Only by providing training opportunities and supporting conditions can more successful enterprises emerge. Entrepreneurship is a process of education, which in turn focuses on the fostering of entrepreneurial spirit. It is not how many things you do in entrepreneurship that matters, but rather, to create a culture and environment that is more significant.

Pan Shiyi, Chairman of SOHO China

China needs entrepreneurship. Millions of university students who will be graduated or who are still studying at school boast of their intelligence. China is far from being strong in its entrepreneurship, innovation of products or commercial modes. Therefore, it is our hope that STEFG will do an even better job in undertaking the entrepreneurship in China .

President Hu Jintao put forwarded that the idea of “creation, innovation and entrepreneurship” has been closely connected with the development of the nation, society and every individual esp. against the background of building an innovative society. People from all walks of life, from the government to locality, from society as a whole to university students, care about entrepreneurship more than ever before. It is stated in the working report of the 17th CPC National Congress that the encouragement and support of entrepreneurship should be put on top of the agenda. Premier Wen Jiabao pointed out, it's imperative that more efforts be put into employment and entrepreneurship training, encouraging self-reliance and start-ups, and supporting the establishment of small enterprises. Yu Zhengsheng, member of the Political Bureau of CPC Central Committee and Secretary of CPC Central Committee, also proposed, we should further solidify the sense of responsibility and mission to build an innovative country, insistent in expanding development through innovation and enhancing the environment construction for innovation and entrepreneurship with the focus on talent introduction.

The power of entrepreneurship has become one of the most heated topics in this society. The rapid development of the USA is owing to its entrepreneurship culture, which is formed by mainly for institutions: 1.the early-stage entrepreneurial companies; 2.grown-up enterprises; 3.innovation-oriented universities; and 4.innovative government. In November 2007, the UK Prime Minister, Golden Brown initiated the “Global Entrepreneurship Week”, aimed at inspiring the entrepreneurship enthusiasm of the graduate and cultivating a new generation of entrepreneurs. In 2008, “Global Entrepreneurship Week” will also be held in China , in which STEFG is now busily engaged.