From May 10 to 11, 2025, the 4th “Xunshi Cup” National University Student Public Administration Decision-Making Simulation Competition (South China Region), guided by the Teaching Steering Committee for Public Administration of Higher Education Institutions under the Ministry of Education, hosted by the China Association for Science of Science and S&T Policy, co-organized by its Public Administration Committee, organized by the School of Public Administration at South China University of Technology, and supported technically by Shanghai ZheXun Information Technology Co., Ltd., was s uccessfully held at South China University of Technology. A total of 52 teams from 50 universities across Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, and Hainan provinces participated.
The “Xunshi Cup” National University Student Public Administration Decision-Making Simulation Competition is a disciplinary competition for full-time university students in public administration and related fields. The competition aims to showcase the practical application of public administration skills by university students, demonstrate the teaching achievements of public administration programs, and promote teaching reform and development through training, practice, and interactions during the event, enhancing the level of practical teaching at universities. Additionally, the competition inspires enthusiasm for public administration studies, enhances students’ practical, innovative, and employability skills, cultivates strategic thinking, teamwork, and market awareness, and lays a solid foundation for students’ transition to society and enterprises.
Under the guidance of teachers Geng Xu and Fu Yang from the Shenzhen University School of Government, the “Collaborative Governance Team,” consisting of Public Administration students Fan Yizhang, Ou Xiaochun, and Jiang Yan, represented our university. After competing in the scheme design and sandbox simulation rounds, they won the First Prize in the South China Region.
The competition used Jianglan City as a case study, requiring teams to design feasible development plans for the city and engage in five rounds of sandbox simulation confrontations. Focusing on the governance and public policy formulation process of the simulated city Jianglan, the competition was divided into two stages: “Public Administration Scheme Design” and “Sandbox Confrontation Exercise.” In the scheme design stage, participating teams were required to analyze the internal and external environment of the simulated city in light of current domestic and international macro trends and policy orientations, define its development mission and strategic goals, and formulate feasible development plans. The team drew on exemplary domestic city cases to develop a systematic and comprehensive urban governance plan, demonstrating solid professional skills and policy comprehension. In the sandbox confrontation stage, students assumed the roles of heads of ten major government functional departments (e.g., Development and Reform Commission, Finance Bureau, Science and Innovation Bureau) in the city, engaging in strategic gaming for urban development within a unified external economic and policy environment. Participating teams must make decisions in key areas such as investment attraction, industrial planning, and public service investment, while flexibly adjusting strategies based on the dynamics of other teams to achieve both enhanced city competitiveness and improved resident well-being. The entire process not only tests students’ professional analytical skills but also hones their adaptability and teamwork spirit.
The “Xunshi Cup” National University Student Public Administration Decision-Making Simulation Competition differs significantly from other public administration competitions by using mathematical models and digital technologies to construct cases, promoting the integration of technology with disciplinary knowledge and enhancing students’ systems thinking, practical application, and teamwork abilities. The competition also showcases the teaching reforms and talent cultivation achievements of public administration programs in higher education institutions, holding practical significance for advancing China’s innovative reforms in high-level interdisciplinary talent cultivation and providing a new platform for public administration talent development.
Our School has sent teams to participate in the “Xunshi Cup” National University Student Public Administration Decision-Making Simulation Competition for three consecutive years, reflecting the School’s strong commitment to undergraduate education. In the future, our School will continue to implement the “left book, right sword” interdisciplinary talent cultivation approach, focusing on strengthening professional guidance, providing robust resource support, and fully inspiring students’ enthusiasm for disciplinary competitions to promote the application of theory to real-world problem-solving, contributing to the development of national public administration talent.
Layout | Li Huan
Initial Review | Fan Yizhang, Ou Xiaochun, Jiang Yan
Secondary Review | Geng Xu, Fu Yang
Final Review | Huang Binhuan
