Maryland Secretary of State to Announce
Smith's China Business Plan Competition Semi-finalists in Beijing

On June 27, Maryland Secretary of State Mary D. Kane will help the Smith School announce the 20 semi-finalists of the second annual China Business Plan Competition at the Zhongguancun Wangjing Science Park in Beijing, China. The competition, themed Building Leaders for the Digital Economy, offers a $25,000 grand prize, $15,000 second prize and $10,000 third prize to entrepreneurs with information-, communication- or technology-related businesses.

The Smith Schools Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship annually hosts the China Business Plan Competition in support of the growth of world-class business ideas and business leaders in China. Kane will make the announcement while leading an education delegation in China with aims to strengthen cooperation between Chinese and state educational institutions. The delegation will include meetings with senior officials from the China Ministry of Education.

This years semi-finalists will be selected from more than 200 submitted entries. The semi-finalist teams will develop full 15- to 25-page business plans by August 1, and on Aug. 28, five finalists will be selected to participate in a final round competition at the China World Hotel in Beijing on Sept. 13. The final round event will feature an exciting program including a panel of venture capitalist (VC) judges, networking opportunities between Chinese VC and entrepreneur communities, and a keynote address.

Stay tuned for more exciting news about the Smith School's China Business Plan Competition!

Visit Smith's China Web site