University of Maryland Business School Names Five Finalists and
Invites the "People's Vote" in $50,000 Business Plan Competition

Beijing, China - October 10, 2008 - The University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business today announced the five finalists of the school's 2008 China Business Plan Competition - Go for the Gold! Not only will the competition award winners with more than $50,000 in cash and prizes, but visitors to Hexun.com are invited to vote for their favorite team to receive a "People's Choice Award" to be announced on Oct. 29. The five finalist teams are: CreditEase, Jujuya.com, Malu Recommendation.

"We're excited about this year's competition," said Asher Epstein, managing director of the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business. "There are a lot of great business plans and ideas - and there promises to be stiff competition among our finalists."

This year's finalists were chosen from approximately 200 total submitted executive summaries. They will participate in a final round competition and awards ceremony hosted at Beida University's Guanghua School of Management in Beijing on Oct. 29. The event will serve as the highlight of a "Global Week of Entrepreneurship" that the Dingman Center has organized in China from October 23 to November 2.

The Smith School's Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship holds the China Business Plan Competition, now in its fourth year, in support of the growth of world-class business ideas and business leaders in China. The event's major sponsors include Fidelity Asia Ventures and NYMEX. Entrepreneurship is a key area of focus for the Smith School, which is internationally known for its entrepreneurship research and programs. The school was recently ranked No. 9 in the United States for entrepreneurship by the U.S. News & World Report college ranking report, "America's Best Colleges 2009," which evaluates undergraduate business programs.

The Smith School in China
The Smith School is partnered with the University of International Business and Economics to deliver its top-ranked programs in China. For more information about the Smith School's China programs, visit:  http://www.rhsmith-umd.cn

About the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business
The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research. One of 13 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate, full-time and part-time MBA, executive MBA, executive MS, PhD and executive education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The school offers its degree, custom and certification programs in learning locations on three continents - North America, Europe and Asia.