Zhengxing Xiao：
How Can Vocational Education Cultivate True Innovators&Entrepreneurs in the Age of AI
At the MFSZ25 Forum, Xiao Zhengxing, Deputy Dean of the Innovation & Entrepreneurship College and Deputy Director of the Industrial Training Center at Shenzhen Polytechnic University, shared his reflections on the real challenges and practical exploration of vocational education in the age of AI.
As LLM models rapidly replace traditional skills such as UI design and software development, the idea that “mastering one skill can last a lifetime” is no longer valid. Vocational education is now facing a fundamental question: What should we actually be teaching?
Xiao’s answer is not to chase the latest technologies, but to cultivate students’ cognitive depth, innovative thinking, and intrinsic motivation. He pointed out that simply knowing how to use AI or ask questions is not enough—effective questioning requires a solid level of understanding and judgment. Without it, students may not even know what to ask. Education should therefore shift its focus from repetitive technical skills to critical thinking, communication, and a deeper understanding of the real world.
Based on this philosophy, Shenzhen Polytechnic University has developed a four-stage innovation and entrepreneurship training system. From campus-wide innovation awareness, to interdisciplinary integration, and finally hands-on startup incubation, more than 500 students enter real-world entrepreneurial practice each year. While acknowledging that entrepreneurship is for a minority, the university is committed to providing the systems, space, and long-term support needed for those who dare to try.
The results are measurable and impressive. Across 24 incubation programs, 483 projects have been launched with a survival rate of 49.1%. Among them, 11 companies have exceeded 100 million RMB in annual revenue, and 8 have reached between 50 million and 100 million RMB—all founded by vocational college students. Xiao emphasized that innovation often emerges from interdisciplinary collisions and frequently exceeds teachers’ expectations, which is precisely where its true value lies.
He concluded by saying: Educators may not fully understand the world of young people, but they must respect it. In the AI era, the mission of vocational education is not to limit students, but to create the conditions that allow those with ideas and motivation to turn their dreams into reality.
