The 14th "Zhengda Cup" National College Students Market Research and Analysis Competition Graduate Group Finals officially concluded on May 19^th at the Qihang Theater. The event was hosted by the Commerce Statistical Society of China, sponsored by Zhengda Group, and organized by Harbin Engineering University. The successful conclusion of the competition marked a significant milestone in the event's history.

Key figures attending the closing ceremony included ZENG Wuyi, Consultant to the Organizing Committee and Professor at Xiamen University; JIN Yongjin, President of the Commerce Statistical Society of China and Professor at Renmin University of China; YU Zhiwen, Vice President of Harbin Engineering University; ZHANG Jie, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Guizhou University; ZHU Jianping, Deputy Director of the Teaching Steering Committee for Statistics in Universities, Ministry of Education, and Professor at Xiamen University; XU Guoxiang, Deputy Director of the Teaching Steering Committee of Statistics in Universities and Professor at Shanghai University of Finance and Economics; ZHAO Yuxin, Assistant President of Harbin Engineering University; LI Yufeng, Sales Director at Chia Tai Group (Heilongjiang); ZHANG Junfeng, General Manager of Ipsos (China); YUAN Yue, Vice President of the Commerce Statistical Society of China and chairman of Dataway; and LI Yan, Executive Director of Qualitative and Agile Innovation at Kantar China, as well as Head of Sustainable Development for Greater China.

The ceremony was also attended by ZHOU Jing, Director of the Editorial Department of "Research World" at the Institute of Statistical Science, National Bureau of Statistics; JIANG Yi, Secretary General of the Commerce Statistical Society of China and Secretary General of the Organizing Committee; HUO Qinggong from Beijing Huayu Xingye Technology Co., Ltd.; GUO Xiaobo, Senior Vice President of Zhongyan Technology Co., Ltd.; SHAO Yehao, General Manager of Yanghe Group Harbin Branch; CHEN Yuanyu, Information Director at LINLEE Hand-made Lemon Tea; WANG Bin, Product Director at Beijing Zhongyun Guochuang Data Technology Co., Ltd.; ZHU Shufang, Research Manager at China Market Center of Zhengda Group; CHEH Heng, Dean of the College of Economics and Management at Harbin Engineering University; YU Yunliang, Secretary of the Party Committee at the College of Economics and Management at Harbin Engineering University; HOU Lei, Deputy Director of the Graduate Work Department and Vice Dean of the Graduate School at Harbin Engineering University; and ZHAO Ningbo, Deputy Secretary of the Youth League Committee and Vice Dean of the Undergraduate School at Harbin Engineering University.

The competition, which was held both live and online, attracted a total of 102,000 online viewers and saw 123,000 interactions in the live room.

The graduate group finals featured a combination of presentations and defense. On May 18th, eight review teams of academic and industry experts evaluated and scored the 150 teams in the finals. First and second place prizes were awarded, and 10 teams were selected to proceed to the open tournament on May 19th.

On the morning of May 19^th, the finals took place at the Qihang Theater of Harbin Engineering University. JIN Yongjin, ZENG Wuyi, XU Guoxiang, ZHU Jianping, YUAN Yue, and LI Yan served as judges for the competition.

Ten finalist teams presented and defended their projects in the order of drawing lots. After expert evaluations, the winning teams were announced: "Indulge in Play, Enjoy Skiing - Research on Consumption Status and Marketing Strategies of Indoor Ski Resorts in China" by the "Enjoy Silky Skating Team" from Tianjin University of Finance and Economics won the championship. "Guizhou’s Golden Fruit, Green Wealth, and Good Life - Research on the Development and Promotion Factors of the Pear Industry in Guizhou Province" by the "Xiongqi Team" from Guizhou University claimed second place. The third place award went to the "Definitely Orange Team" from Harbin Engineering University for their project "Being Alone, Being Accompanied by Medical Road, Being Diagnosed - Survey on the Willingness and Satisfaction of Young People to Use Accompanying Services for Elders." In the Zhengda Topic Selection category, the "Inhaling Energy" team from Hunan Normal University won with their project on pre-made foods.

First-place teams from each group in the preliminary round and the top three finalists received competition prizes sponsored by Ipsos (China) Consulting Co., Ltd. The winner of the Zhengda Topic Selection also received a prize from Zhengda Group.

In the afternoon of May 19^th, the competition's summary and closing ceremony were held. During the technical review session, Professor ZHU Jianping and Ms. LI Yan offered feedback on the entries.

Professor ZHU Jianping highlighted the vital role of statistics in social services and suggested several improvements. He commended the innovative use of methods such as text mining and social network analysis, noting that the competition entries laid the foundation for future social applications of statistics. He emphasized the expansion of research into diverse fields such as economics, finance, and healthcare, and the integration of interdisciplinary fields like management, statistics, and computer science. He urged contestants and mentors to focus on current social issues, leverage big data tools, and promote the application and transformation of statistics.

LI Yan summarized the competition's development by focusing on four key concepts: "breadth," "depth," "height," and "temperature." She praised the diversity of participating teams and their use of both qualitative and quantitative methods, big data, and language model analysis. She emphasized that the competition fosters innovation and academic value, encouraging students to collect firsthand data through field research. LI Yan also underscored the competition's focus on innovation, noting that many teams had made significant breakthroughs in topic selection, research methods, and perspective extraction. She encouraged students to engage with social issues and drive progress through their research. LI Yan expressed her hope that the competition would continue to grow, nurturing talent that contributes meaningfully to society.

ZHAGN Junfeng, representing Ipsos (China), spoke about the importance of cooperation, noting that the research results from each team were closely tied to real-world market analysis. He highlighted how the contestants' data analysis and consumer market insights could help businesses establish solid theoretical frameworks and implementation strategies. ZHANG emphasized Ipsos’s continued support for market research competitions and collaborations with the Commerce Statistical Society of China.

The closing ceremony also announced the "Best College Organization Award." Fifteen universities, including Beijing Technology and Business University, Northern University for Nationalities, and Changchun University of Technology, received this honor.

The event concluded with a flag handover ceremony. Professor Jin Yongjin received the competition flag from Professor YU Zhiwen and passed it to ZHAGN Jie, who will host the 15th National Finals of the competition.

ZHAGN Jie, in her speech, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to host the competition and introduced Guizhou University, which is part of China's national "211 Project" and a "Double First Class" institution. She emphasized the university’s commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship, underscoring how the market research competition integrates value, knowledge, and skill development. ZHAGN also noted the competition's role in linking academia, government, and industry, positioning it as a leading platform for collaborative education. She expressed Guizhou University's dedication to hosting the next event with the highest standards of organization, service, and competition environment.

Finally, the competition concluded on a high note, with the organization of small business and academic achievement exhibitions. These exhibitions featured over 30 industry leaders, including CP Group, Ipsos (China), Kantar Insight, and Dataway, and provided a platform for companies to showcase their products and recruit talent. Universities also used the opportunity to present their educational achievements and promote knowledge sharing. This addition injected new vitality into the competition, further strengthening its role as a key event in market research and analysis.