Behind a 24-year “two-way run”.

From May 18th to 19th, the first Nanjing University New Technology Alumni Development Conference and the 2024 “Nanjing Talent Day” Drum Tower Special Event was held in the Gulou Campus of Nanjing University and the Gulou High-tech Zone. During the event, a group of world-renowned and industry-renowned alumni of NTU gathered in the Drum Tower.

Gulou High-tech Zone signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the Nanjing University New Technology Alumni Association, and the Organization Department of the Gulou District Committee and the Nanjing University New Technology Alumni Association held the unveiling ceremony of the “Yanhui Talent Co-education Base”.

One is the “first phalanx” in Chinese universities, and the other is the “first good district” in the administrative region of the province. Back in 2001, Gulou District and Nanjing University jointly initiated the establishment of the University Science and Technology Park, creating a precedent of “one government and nine schools”. Since then, the two parties have jointly written the “Development Book” of “NTU-Drum Tower” school-local integration for 24 years. Now, this “book” has once again turned a new page.past“Wonton incense” wafts into the student’s “memoir”now“Wonton fragrance” wafts out of the development of “new taste”

No. 22 Hankou Road is the “spiritual totem” of NTU students and the “life station” of generations of NTU alumni. The small restaurants on both sides of the road have hooked the taste buds of passing diners, and they have also accompanied the exciting youth of “Nanda”. “Once, when I returned from self-study in the evening, I drank a bowl of small wontons at the entrance of South Park, which was the most unforgettable memory of my college days.” A NTU alumnus said.

The years are in a hurry, the feelings are still the same, the king travels the world, and his hometown is concerned. For NTU alumni, no matter how far they go, the Drum Tower and Nanjing are eternal harbors. Nowadays, this “harbor” is using its own way to extend the memories, let the “wontons” float out of the “new taste”, “dance” with the youth, and add “brilliant colors” to the development.

In 2021, as the 120th anniversary of NTU approached, the surrounding environment of the Gulou Campus was in urgent need of renovation and upgrading.

If there is a demand from NTU, the Drum Tower will respond – start the implementation of the comprehensive renovation of the environment around the South China, through micro-transformation, micro-renewal, micro-decoration, micro-improvement, and implant the concept of slow-moving, friendly and intelligent technology, so that the streets and alleys can be seen everywhere “Nanda elements” and reflect the “embroidery kung fu”. Since then, Gulou District has held a design competition for the doors of large merchants in the South China, with the active participation of nearly 100 students from Nanda University.

Today, the fragrance of wontons is still the same, but Hankou Road, Jinyin Street, Taogu New Village, and Qingdao Road have long been renewed. Colorful graffiti walls, trendy “containers” …… The interaction between historical heritage and modern atmosphere, the combination of fireworks and romance, the streets and alleys exude youthful vitality and creativity, every corner is flowing with literature and innovation, and the formation of young energy fields and trend gathering places leading the new trend of consumption is accelerating.

“Take Jinyin Street as an example, it has handed over the answer sheet of consumption renewal and urban renewal, and many forms of art expression have also created a new scene of artistic life.” Jia Pengfei, an associate professor at the Department of Economics at Nanjing University Business School, said.

At present, the new “color” is embellished with a more brand-new future – the underground parking lot of Jiangsu and Zhejiang Stadium will soon be put into use, and the surrounding streets and alleys such as Xiaofenqiao will also be wonderful one after another. The new image is showing the “charm of the drum tower” to welcome the return of alumni from all over the world.

past“Intramural Competition” Leads to the “Road to the Future”nowPave the way to a “win-win situation” with the “school-local competition”

In Gulou District, Nanjing 300 Cloud Information Technology Co., Ltd. (referred to as “Che 300”) is the “star” among technology companies. Founded by Xu Wei, a 2014 alumnus of Nanjing University Business School, the company has grown into a “national high-tech enterprise” and “Jiangsu Province’s specialized, special and new small and medium-sized enterprises” focusing on the auto trading and financial digital service industries. In addition, it was also selected as the “2023 China Future Unicorn TOP100” and “2022 Nanjing Unicorn Cultivation Enterprise”.

“I was fortunate to come to NTU to study, participated in the NTU MBA Entrepreneurship Competition and won the first place, and that project was the prototype of ‘Car 300’ at that time.” A game helped Xu Wei get the “key” to the “road to the future”.

Today, this event leading to the future is no longer a “one-man show” held by the school alone, but has evolved into a “hand in hand” between Gulou District and NTU.

In 2020, 2022 and 2024, Gulou District and Nanjing University jointly held three “Lixing Cup” Global Alumni Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competitions, attracting more than 1,000 high-quality entrepreneurial projects at home and abroad to participate, paving a “win-win road” for school-local integration.

It is understood that the cumulative valuation of the finals of the competition exceeded 100 billion yuan, and the amount of investment and financing was nearly 6 billion yuan.

“Nanjing is the root of NTU’s development, and the two sides have carried out in-depth cooperation in the fields of scientific and technological innovation and industrial transformation, urban development and cultural construction, and achieved mutual sharing of resources and common development.” Zou Yajun, member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and Vice President of Nanjing University, said that in the future, Nanjing University looks forward to continuing to work with the Gulou District People’s Government to build a platform for the school, the local government and alumni to create a win-win situation and help entrepreneurial talents land in Gulou and take root in Nanjing.

“Helping entrepreneurial talents land” is what NTU thinks and what Gulou is looking forward to.

For example, a young NTU alumnus became attached to the Drum Tower through the “Lixing Cup”, and then took root in the Drum Tower, intensively cultivated in the subdivided field, committed to empowering the ecology of the agricultural product circulation industry with digital technology, and promoting the improvement of the circulation structure of agricultural products with the collaborative model of the smart supply chain, and was selected as a high-level talent in Nanjing, and has received more than 170 yuan of financial support.