Empowering Future Leaders with AI Skills and Career Competitiveness: 2024 Ford UCAN Innovation Camp Successfully Concludes

Nov 08, 2024
<2 MIN READ
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The 2024 Ford UCAN Innovation Camp recently wrapped up, along with the selection of student participants for the annual finals. This year, the "Ford UCAN Innovation Competition" was focused on empowering university students with the latest innovation capabilities and career competitiveness. This year’s training courses were not only fully upgraded, but also lifted previous restrictions on grades and disciplines, opening up the program to university students from more cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, and Chongqing. As a key component of the "Ford UCAN Innovation Competition," the UCAN Camp has attracted participation from over 2,500 students from nearly 400 universities nationwide since recruitment began in August. Moreover, nearly 50 Ford volunteers provided specialized mentorship and support to the participants.

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The newly upgraded training program included live online courses and offline innovation camps. The live online courses, designed to teach tools for "Design Thinking", added training and guidance on how to leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to drive innovation, helping participants improve the quality and efficiency of their projects. The offline innovation camp, themed around "road tripping and camping", which is closely connected to the Ford brand and its products, offers participants opportunities for practical application of theoretical knowledge.

In this era of intelligence, the automotive industry is facing unprecedented challenges while also experiencing rapid advancements in innovation and smart technology. Yang Meihong, Vice President of Communications and Corporate Social Responsibility at Ford China, said: "Through the Ford UCAN, we provide students with a platform that empowers their innovation skills and engages them in social experiences and applications, genuinely enhancing their innovation capabilities and career competitiveness".

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From Nov. 29 to Dec. 1, the 36 students selected from the UCAN Camp will participate in the "2024 Ford UCAN Innovation Competition - National Finals" in Shanghai. They will work in teams to complete prototype designs for innovative solutions within 48 hours, centered around Ford's brand proposition of "Unleash FUN, Wild at Heart," using Design Thinking and AI skills. Throughout this event, Ford is also offering participants opportunities for corporate visits, professional exchanges, and other meaningful social experiences, as well as providing one-on-one career counseling and entrepreneurial support.

Upholding its brand vision to "We are here for one purpose, to help build a better world where every person is free to move and pursue their dreams.", Ford aims to drive sustainable development in the automotive industry by supporting young, innovative-thinking talents who will become the mobility leaders of the future!