72 outstanding university students from 42 global universities gathered online and offline March 14-15, 2026, for the 8th International Collidoscope Challenge (ICC). Hosted by Fudan University’s School of International Finance (FISF) Elite Master of Finance (EMF) program and co-organized with WAIC Future Tech, the event themed Digital Intelligence Empowerment · New Practices in AI Ecosystem turned young innovators’business ideas into actionable plans for financial AI development.
ICC and WAIC Future Tech’s deep partnership is built on shared values and complementary resources. WAIC, focused on a global open AI ecosystem, leverages its WAIC Future Tech OPC to link AI innovation with industrial applications and nurture young talent worldwide. As FISF’s flagship international competition, ICC merges cutting-edge industry trends with higher education, training global-minded, socially responsible talents to solve global issues through innovation. Together, they created a premier platform for youth to integrate AI theory and financial practice, injecting youthful energy into the global AI and finance sectors.
During the opening, FISF Academic Vice Dean Prof. Charles Chang recounted ICC’s 8-year evolution, with themes spanning fintech, healthcare, digital transformation and Chinese enterprises’ global expansion—all tied to UN Sustainable Development Goals and ESG Principles. He stressed ICC’s core is all about the collision of ideas, noting global challenges demand global cooperation. AI is now a tangible reality, and Chinese enterprises play an increasingly key global role, making globalization a core 2026 ICC topic. Chang urged students to take ownership, drive enterprise growth by uphold social responsibility, with ICC providing professional knowledge and expert mentors to support them.
WAIC Strategic Director Tom XU highlighted AI’s explosive, unstoppable development, stating the only choice is to embrace it proactively with clear global norms. A veteran in global AI ecosystem building, he confirmed Chinese tech innovators are set to shine worldwide. XU cited WAIC Future Tech as a bridge for industry, governance and academia integration, exporting Chinese AI solutions globally and breaking international barriers for young innovators, while nurturing their social and era mission.
Whitestone Investments Managing Partner Anthony Woo shared 17 years of venture capital and global finance experience, addressing AI’s impact on the job market and offering practical career advice. He analyzed the AI-finance industry’s high-potential fields, key pain points and new opportunities, helping participants build a global industrial vision.
Hosted by Hydrogen Design Center Founder Allan Chou—an FISF industry mentor for sustainable development and corporate innovation courses - the dynamic roundtable saw the three experts discuss AI-era entrepreneurship and learning, and propose the forward-looking Unicorn for One concept. They noted during the Q&A session that more young Chinese entrepreneurs are building the AI industry ecosystem and encouraged youth to join the AI entrepreneurship wave: Youth is the greatest asset - with no financial burdens mean it’s the perfect time to turn AI enabled ideas into reality.
The participants were randomly assigned to 18 teams for this Annual hackathon, collaborating with clear division of labor. With round-the-clock mentorship guidance, teams deepened their financial knowledge, broadened global vision and integrated AI models with practical business plans for real financial scenarios.
On March 15 afternoon, the 18 teams competed in the final presentation with a Q&A section with judges, showcasing innovative AI-finance solutions. Judges praised their grasp of latest AI trends and creative AI applications for enterprises, with green finance, carbon neutrality, e-commerce and elderly care as key winning concepts.
After scoring by a panel of three expert judges, Group1-RAG claimed the championship with Zen Pay—an AI-driven green payment platform building a sustainable green consumption ecosystem. Guiding users to curb impulsive spending and choose low-carbon consumption via incentives, product selection and credit mechanisms, Zen Pay promotes Gen-Z rational consumption and aligns fully with ESG principles.
In his closing remarks, Chou reminded all the participants that ICC is a youth empowerment platform, where participants’ persistence and exploration lay a solid foundation for their future. He noted the business world is full of unknowns, but independent thinking and bold action are always the core power to move agendas.
The 8th ICC concluded successfully, with every participant demonstrating their responsibility and dedication through creativity and hard work. This is a new start for these undergraduate students’ innovation journey—hope they’ll all keep innovation and responsibility at heart, continue to explore AI and sustainable development, and drive global progress to grow into global changemakers with unprecedented problem solving abilities.
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Source: Fudan International School of Finance
