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On May 29, the GEC Academy × INTIME Retail 2026 AI Business Singularity Summit and the Launch Ceremony of the 2026 OPC 3.0 Global Business Challenge were held in Shanghai under the theme “AI, Entrepreneurship, and the Future of Work.” The event brought together representatives from education, business, investment, technology, and innovation communities to explore how AI is opening new possibilities for youth entrepreneurship, employment, talent development, industry collaboration, and the commercialization of new ideas.
The event was co-hosted by GEC Academy and New Oriental Education & Technology Group Co., Ltd., with INTIME Retail serving as the Flagship Title Partner. It was also co-organized by the Association for Student Employment, HiTATSU Group, Suzhou Innovation Research Institute of Nanjing University, and other partners across the education, business, technology, investment, and innovation sectors.
Opening Remarks
Hosted by Ms. Wendy Wang, Co-founder of GEC Academy, the summit opened with remarks that collectively framed AI as a new force reshaping how young people learn, work, and create value. Mr. Donghai Zhai, Deputy Secretary-General of the Association for Student Employment, highlighted the changing employment landscape and the need to prepare students with creativity, adaptability, and the ability to work effectively with AI. Bringing an industry perspective, Ms. Ran Huo, General Manager of School-Enterprise Cooperation at INTIME Retail, emphasized the importance of real business scenarios in helping young innovators turn ideas into practical solutions. Mr. Edison Yan, CEO of GEC Academy and Executive Director of ASI Global, further connected these ideas to OPC 3.0, describing it as a platform designed to link students with industry resources, startup communities, and real-world opportunities for AI-powered entrepreneurship.
Keynote Speech by Prof. Yang Yao, Chair Professor of Economics and Dean of NSD at Peking University
In his keynote speech, “AI for All: Rethinking the Future of Work,” Professor Yang Yao explored how AI is reshaping the future of work, entrepreneurship, and urban innovation. He noted that while AI may replace certain repetitive tasks, it can also lower the barriers for individuals and small teams to create new products, services, and business models. His remarks aligned closely with the vision of OPC 3.0, which aims to help young people use AI to explore new ways of working, building ventures, and creating value.
Talent Development in the AI Era and the ASCEND Framework
Mr. Sheng Yan introduced “Talent Development in the AI Era and the ASCEND Framework,” a strategic framework jointly developed with the Suzhou Innovation Research Institute of Nanjing University. Framed around the question of how education should respond to rapid technological change, the ASCEND examines the core competencies young people need to exercise sound judgment, adapt to complex environments, and translate knowledge into practice in an AI-enabled world. Closely aligned with OPC 3.0, ASCEND positions talent development as an integrated process linking cognitive growth, applied learning, and industry engagement, offering students a pathway from knowledge acquisition to problem definition, solution design, and value creation.
Signing Ceremony & Launch of the 2026 OPC 3.0 Global Business Challenge
A six-party cooperation framework was presented by Mr. Yu Zuo, Deputy Director of ASI Global, with participation from Suzhou Wuzhong District Bureau of Science and Technology, HiTATSU Group, the Association for Student Employment, Suzhou Innovation Research Institute of Nanjing University, New Oriental Education & Technology Group, and Suzhou Nanhui Zhongcheng AI-OPC Venture Fund. The framework connects local innovation support, industry resources, education, research, career development, and venture capital, creating a stronger foundation for OPC 3.0 to support promising projects from early ideas to real-world application.
GEC Academy and INTIME Retail, the Flagship Title Partner of OPC 3.0, signed a strategic partnership to further connect the challenge with real business scenarios, retail insights, and industry resources.
The 2026 OPC 3.0 Global Business Challenge was officially launched in collaboration with corporate ecosystem partners, including INTIME Retail, HiTATSU Group, SenseTime Group, Tencent Cloud, APLUX Intelligence, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Tmall Campus, etc.
About 2026 OPC 3.0 Global Business Challenge
As one of GEC Academy’s most important initiatives this year, the 2026 OPC 3.0 Global Business Challenge is designed to help individuals use AI tools to complete business tasks that once required a full team.
Introduced by Ms. Katie Wang, Head of OPC Business at GEC Academy, the OPC 3.0 Challenge includes two main tracks: the Innovation Track for self-initiated projects and the Challenge Track · Bounty for real business needs from enterprise and public-sector partners. Each track includes two focus areas: Product Direction, covering AI-native products, content systems, consumer experiences, communities, brands, and digital services; and Solution Direction, covering AI-powered workflows, automation systems, enterprise tools, and industry solutions. The first Bounty challenges, released on May 29, focus on AI-powered personal IP building, AI content engines for brand growth, and AI-native member engagement experiences. More broadly, OPC 3.0 Challenge reflects GEC’s effort to connect AI learning with real-world innovation, helping young people turn emerging technologies into practical career and venture-building opportunities.
Mr. Zheng Zhu, Director of the Employability Management Center under New Oriental’s International Education Division, introduced the AI-powered Personal IP Track as an example of how OPC 3.0 connects AI marketing, personal branding, and career development.
OPC Lightning Demo
At the OPC Lightning Demo, several early-stage projects offered a glimpse of what “one-person company” innovation can look like in practice. The presentations moved across different fields, from immersive content experiences and AI-powered STEM learning tools to “Hello, Hanzi,” which explores new ways to share Chinese character culture with global learners through AI. These projects gave the audience a more concrete sense of OPC 3.0 as a model that helps young creators turn personal insight, AI tools, and real user needs into products with practical value.
Panel Sessions: AI and the New Business Ecosystem; OPC & Business Transformation
During the panel sessions, guest speakers explored how AI is changing the way enterprises organize work, how education and industry partners can better prepare young talent for more flexible career paths, and how OPC-style ventures may open new possibilities for individuals and small teams in global entrepreneurship. Across the discussions, speakers shared a common view that the future of AI entrepreneurship will depend on more than technology itself. Real business scenarios, cross-sector mentorship, capital support, and a strong innovation ecosystem will all be essential in helping young creators test ideas, build products, and grow beyond the competition stage.
Launch of the Home for Innovation and Career (HIC) Community
The HIC Community, GEC’s new platform for young people interested in innovation, entrepreneurship, and future career development, was officially launched at the summit. Designed to extend the momentum of OPC 3.0 beyond the competition itself, HIC has partnered with 15 ecosystem communities to connect students and emerging founders with mentors, industry partners, startup networks, and hands-on learning opportunities. Through workshops, community events, project guidance, and networking, HIC aims to support young innovators as they continue developing ideas, building skills, and exploring real-world pathways in the AI era.
Looking ahead, GEC will continue to connect young innovators with real industry scenarios, practical resources, and global collaboration opportunities. Through the ASCEND Framework, the OPC 3.0 Challenge, and the HIC Community, GEC aims to help more young creators move from ideas to validated projects, from individual creativity to market-facing solutions, and from emerging talent to future builders.
For GEC faculty members: if you are interested in AI entrepreneurialism, venture building, youth innovation, or future career development, please feel free to reach out to us at publicity@gecacademy.com to explore future collaboration opportunities, including workshops, mentoring sessions, seminars, and community engagement.