A senior enterprise development adviser to the United Nations (UN) signed up yesterday as a business consultant to assist China's Fudan University students.

 

Jean Marie Cishahayo, from Burundi in east Africa, is one of 17 volunteer consultants who'll offer advice to young business starters, assist with the fledgling enterprises and answer their questions.

 

The group will also help student companies seek venture capital investment and match them with potential business partners, Fudan officials said.

 

"I feel excited about the new job," said Cishahayo, who is a graduate of the university and also a professor at Jiao Tong University. Since 1996 Cishahayo has worked as a consultant with the UN assisting with Chinese projects. He's the only overseas volunteer consultant signed up by Fudan so far.

 

Since the city government launched a technology entrepreneurship foundation for university graduates in March 2005 over 800 city university graduates have started 132 companies in the electronics, information technology, biochemical and service sectors.

 

Each of the student companies was granted initial funding of 300,000 yuan (US$37,500). More than 30 companies have made a profit so far and eight have passed an annual sales volume of 500,000 yuan, according to Zhang Dewang, the foundation's secretary-general. "Students are always full of passion for business but they lack resources," Zhang said.

 

(Shanghai Daily January 5, 2007)