On October 24, the final of the 2020 "Zhixing Cup" Shanghai University Student Social Practice Project Competition was successfully held. This competition adopted a combination of online and offline formats, with 106 projects from multiple universities participating in the online defense. Among them, three teams from the School of Statistics and Management stood out: two teams guided by Associate Professor Li Tao won the first prize and the third prize of the "Zhixing Cup" Shanghai University Student Social Practice Project Competition, while one team guided by Associate Professor Zhu Qianqian won the third prize, accounting for half of the total awards won by the school.
The current "Zhixing Cup" is themed "Integrating the Individual into the Collective, Devoting Youth to the Motherland; Fighting Poverty Alleviation, Committing to the Great Cause of Strengthening the Nation." It is co-organized by the Municipal Party Committee Propaganda Department, the Municipal Civilization Office, the Education and Health Work Committee of the Municipal Party Committee, the Municipal Education Commission, the Municipal Communist Youth League, and the Municipal Student Union, with Shanghai University of Electric Power as the host. Since its launch in June this year, the School of Statistics and Management, with the support of the Youth League Committee and the Academic Affairs Office, has actively promoted and carefully deployed initiatives, thoroughly studying the relevant requirements of the 2020 "Zhixing Cup" Practical Competition. It has effectively combined the characteristics of the college's professional studies and actively organized students to conduct summer social practice activities. In 2020, the college registered a total of 18 projects for the "Zhixing Cup" practice, successfully completed 16 of them, and received 5 university-level outstanding completion project awards. The college has placed great emphasis on the selection and formation of practice teams and the final establishment of practical themes. At the same time, the college has assigned professional advisors and team leaders to ensure the effective implementation of the practice activities, encouraging students to understand current hot topics and care about social issues while applying their academic skills and pouring their youthful energy into practice.
In recent years, the college has placed a high emphasis on the cultivation of undergraduate talents, focusing on the combination of theoretical knowledge and practical application. It has established nearly 40 internship and practice bases, engaging in diversified collaborative cooperation with government units such as the National Bureau of Statistics, Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Statistics, and survey teams, as well as well-known enterprises like Dongfang Securities. This effort has greatly expanded new pathways for practical education. Students from the college have continuously achieved new results in the annual "ZhiXing Cup" Shanghai College Student Social Practice Project Competition. In 2015, they won 1 Shanghai Excellent Award and 3 Shanghai Third Prizes; in 2016, they won 1 Shanghai Third Prize; in 2017, they won 1 Shanghai Second Prize and 1 Shanghai Third Prize; in 2018, they won 1 Shanghai Second Prize; in 2019, they won 2 Shanghai Second Prizes and 1 Shanghai Third Prize; in 2020, they won 1 Shanghai First Prize and 2 Shanghai Third Prizes. As of now, the college has accumulated a total of 14 awards in the "ZhiXing Cup" Shanghai College Student Social Practice Competition.
Practical education is an important carrier of higher education and teaching work under the new situation, and is an effective way to promote the formation of a holistic educational approach. Adhering to the unity of theoretical learning, innovative thinking, and social practice has an irreplaceable positive role in enhancing students' social responsibility to serve the country and the people, their innovative spirit of daring to explore, and their practical ability to solve problems. In the future, supported by the first-class undergraduate construction leadership plan projects in Shanghai — "First-Class Undergraduate Major Construction," "First-Class Undergraduate Talent Cultivation Base Construction," and the education and teaching reform project of the Statistics major — the "Bingwen Plan," the college will continue to focus on cultivating innovative, top-notch statistics talent, taking the "Four Returns" as the starting point, implementing the fundamental task of "cultivating virtue and educating people," and striving to cultivate composite talents that integrate theory and practice. The college student summer social practice project is an important way for students to step out of the ivory tower, broaden their horizons, and enrich their experiences in the vast social world. It is also an important means of cultivating innovative talents and enhancing practical education. The college will always uphold the motto of "Cultivating Virtue and Broad Learning, Economic Reform and Timeliness," take the theme education of "Staying True to Our Original Aspiration and Keeping Our Mission in Mind" as an opportunity, and use "Three Full Education" as a tool to continue encouraging students to actively participate in practical projects, increase personnel and financial input, and strive to improve students' ability to apply what they have learned and integrate knowledge with action, contributing statistical wisdom to the construction of "First-Class Universities" and "First-Class Majors."
