From May 25th to 26th, "Toyota Cup"--the 2nd National College Innovation Competition of Industrial Engineering and Lean Management (hereinafter referred to as the "Toyota Cup") was held at Tianjin University (TJU).
With the theme "Keep improving and strengthening the country through innovation", the contest is designed to promote the popularization and application of Industrial Engineering and Lean Management methods and technologies, broaden student’s horizons in terms of scientific and technological innovation, and build an exchange platform for teachers, students, researchers and technicians from enterprises and institutions.
Officially launched in January 2019, the "Toyota Cup" competition has become a national sensation, with 380 teams from 116 institutions participating in the preliminary rounds. The teams fall into three categories, namely, the "undergraduate group", the "graduate student group", and for the first time the “industry group” for enterprises. Thirty-seven teams made it into the final rounds.
On the site of the finals, 37 teams shared and displayed their examples of Industrial Engineering or Lean Management innovation. Experts from the judging panel reviewed and evaluated the entries based on their topics, research methods, benefits and effects as well as team capabilities. Finally, one team from the undergraduate group and the other from the industry group became the Outstanding Winner; six First Prize winners, eleven Second Prize winners and eighteen Third Prize winners. Eleven universities, including Zhejiang University of Technology and TJU, were awarded the title of "Excellent Organizer".
The prize presentation ceremony was held on the morning of 26th, Shibakawa Hayato, General Manager of Faw Toyota Motor co., LTD.(hereinafter referred to as Toyota), Li Zheng, Chairman of Guidance Commission on Industrial Engineering Education under Ministry of Education of P.R.C and Vice President of Tsinghua University, Wei-min Lu, CPC Party Chief and Vice Executive President of Tianjin Science and Technology Association, Yong-kang Dai, CPC Party Chief and Director General of Tianjin Municipal Science and Technology Bureau, Min Lei, Deputy CPC Party Chief of TJU, Zhi-cheng Zuo, Director-General of the Chinese Institute of Electronic labor, Chao-zhi Chen, Deputy Secretary-General of the Chinese Mechanical Engineering Society, Zhi-yong Pei, Division Director of the Administrative Center for China’s Agenda 21, Quan-chao Li and Hamamoto Jikang, Office Director and Deputy Office Director of Faw Toyota Motor co., LTD., Shan-zhao Bao, Secretary-General of the Chinese Institute of Electronic labor, Xing-hua Li and Yuan Wang, committee members of Guidance Commission on Industrial Engineering Education under Ministry of Education of P.R.C,Min Jiang from Continuing Education Department of Chinese Mechanical Engineering Society, Qing-xin Chen, chief editor of Industrial Engineering Journal, Er-shi Qi, Chairman of the contest organizing committee and Executive Director of the Chinese Mechanical Engineering Society, Shou-feng Ma, CPC Party Chief of the CoME, Zhao-fang Mao, Vice Dean of the CoME and other guests attended.
Er-shi Qi, Chairman of the contest organizing committee and Executive Director of the Chinese Mechanical Engineering Society, thought highly of the competition, saying that by including the industry group into the contest, the competition had promoted the idea of combining producing with teaching.
Li Zheng, Chairman of the Guidance Commission on Industrial Engineering Education under the Ministry of Education of P.R.C and Vice President of Tsinghua, said that the competition provided a good opportunity for Industrial Engineering to display its achievements in industrial practice, and played an important role in promoting the combination of school and enterprise, industry and education.
Shibakawa Hayato, General Manager of Toyota, delivered a speech at the award ceremony. He first reviewed the history of Toyota lean production and pointed out the important position of lean production in Toyota industry practice. Toyota hoped to build a demonstration and exchange platform of Industrial Engineering and Lean Management for teachers, students and peers in the industry and cultivate talents for the future development of the industry.
By College of Management and Economics
Editors: Eva Yin & Doris Harrington
