On the afternoon of December 13, 2024, the UTSEUS successfully held the opening ceremony of the 5th Student Innovation Competition "Integrate in Learning, Insight in Innovation" at the Shanghai University Engineering Training Center. Attendees included Mr. Wang Chi, Deputy Director of Shanghai University Innovation and Entrepreneurship Institute; Mr. Zhang Haiguang, Deputy Director of the Engineering Training Center; Ms. He Lanlan, Head of Major Competitions at the Engineering Training Center; Ms. Ding Hui from the Shanghai University Academic Affairs Office; Mr. Liu Jianyong, CCP Secretary of UTSEUS; Mr. Fabien PFAENDER, French Director of UTSEUS; Ms. Laure MINASSIAN, French Vice-Director of UTSEUS; and Mr. He Zhuoheng, Vice-Director for International Affairs at UTSEUS. Corporate guests attending the event included Mr. Gao Lusheng, Board Member of the Shanghai Association of Chief Engineers and Chairman of Shanghai Baibin Industrial Co., Ltd.; Mr. Yan Gengzhen, Vice President Asia Pacific, Panthronics AG; Mr. Qiu Junting, Technical Director, Shanghai Middol Technology Co., Ltd.; Mr. Chen Yelin, Energy Efficiency Manager, Akila Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.; Mr. Jia Han, General Manager, Sansenwell (Shanghai) Robotics Co., Ltd.; Mr. Wu Jiahao, Project Manager, Micropole Software Technology Co., Ltd.; Mr. Zhou Xugui, Project Manager, Shanghai Haaenclean Environmental Engineering Co., Ltd.; and Mr. Nie Wei, Sales Manager, Beijing InHand Networks Technology Co., Ltd. Also present were UTSEUS faculty members Mr. Du Shuimiao and Mr. Chen Lunde, jointly appointed Professor Xie Haihua, Youth League Secretary Mr. Zhao Zhiwei, along with participating students from various colleges.
The theme of this year's competition is "Eyes on the Future," focusing on the application and expansion of AI technology in engineering problem-solving. The opening ceremony was co-hosted by Huang Hanyu, a first-year Information Engineering student at UTSEUS, and Alfred Marc, an exchange student from Luxembourg. The UTSEUS "Integrate in Learning, Insight in Innovation" competition aims to stimulate students' engineering innovation potential and cultivate their innovative capabilities. It is recognized as a university-level competition by the Shanghai University Academic Affairs Office. This year's event continues to be jointly organized by UTSEUS, Eaton (China) Investment Co., Ltd., the Shanghai University Engineering Training Center, and the Shanghai Association of Chief Engineers. More than 300 students from 11 colleges across the university have formed over 70 teams to participate.
Professor Liu Jianyong, CCP Secretary of UTSEUS, delivered the opening address, thanking and welcoming the leaders and corporate guests. Secretary Liu emphasized that innovation is the core driving force of our era and a crucial mission of higher education. UTSEUS is committed to promoting educational reform and innovation, stimulating students' creativity and practical abilities. The innovation competition embodies the college's "innovation-driven development" philosophy. Industry-academia collaboration serves as a vital bridge connecting higher education with societal needs and an effective pathway for cultivating application-oriented and versatile talents suited to the new era. Secretary Liu wished all participants a rewarding and growth-filled experience.
Over the past year, with support from the university's Engineering Training Center, UTSEUS students have achieved numerous provincial, municipal, and national innovation awards. Ms. Zhang Haiguang, Deputy Director of the Engineering Training Center, welcomed the participating students on behalf of the center, reaffirming their continued support for cultivating innovative engineers at UTSEUS and encouraging students to showcase their talents and pursue excellence on this platform.
Mr. Gao Lusheng, Board Member of the Shanghai Association of Chief Engineers and Chairman of Shanghai Tongyi Communication Engineering Co., Ltd., served as a competition mentor and commentator for the previous edition. At this year's opening ceremony, he shared his unique insights from an industry perspective on the transformation and implementation of student innovation outcomes.
Shanghai Middol Information Technology Co., Ltd. is a new corporate partner of UTSEUS, committed to pioneering the blue ocean of intelligent manufacturing. Dr. Qiu Junting, CTO of Middol Technology, a champion of the Shanghai G60 Innovation Competition, and currently a Master's supervisor at Zhejiang University of Technology and advisor in robotics, shared his entrepreneurial and innovation journey with UTSEUS faculty and students.
The UTSEUS "Integrate in Learning, Insight in Innovation" competition has long benefited from the dedicated guidance and support of numerous corporate mentors. These mentors provide students with practical experience, connect them with industry resources, enhance their innovative thinking, and help strengthen their competitiveness. In recognition of their contributions, Secretary Liu Jianyong and Deputy Director Zhang Haiguang presented competition mentor certificates for the 5th edition to eight corporate representatives: Mr. Chen Yelin (Akila Technology), Mr. Yan Gengzhen (Panthronics AG), Mr. Gao Lusheng (Shanghai Tongyi Communication Engineering Co., Ltd.), Mr. Jia Han (Sansenwell Robotics Co., Ltd.), Mr. Qiu Junting (Shanghai Middol Information Technology Co., Ltd.), Mr. Wu Jiahao (Micropole Software Technology Co., Ltd.), Mr. Zhou Xugui (Shanghai Haaenclean Environmental Engineering Co., Ltd.), and Mr. Nie Wei (Beijing InHand Networks Technology Co., Ltd.).
Alfred Marc, an exchange student from Luxembourg (and co-host of the event), whose academic interests span multiple disciplines, shared his experience with innovation projects related to nature conservation in Africa during his university years, as well as a smart beehive project developed during his time in Shanghai. He encouraged fellow students with the messages "Innovation is needed everywhere" and "Follow your passions."
In 2024, UTSEUS achieved a qualitative leap in its performance at the China International College Student Innovation Competition. The transparent photovoltaic project by Zheng Kaiwen and Deng Baozhong, under the guidance of Professor Xu Tao, won the National Silver Award in the international track. Zheng Kaiwen, a current UTSEUS master's student, together with Chen Xianghe from the School of Management, shared their journey to winning national awards.
Professor Zhao Ling, Director of the UTSEUS Laboratories and Head of the Competition Organizing Committee, explained the meaning of this year's theme "Eyes on the Future" to the students. She introduced the innovative features of this competition compared to previous editions, outlined the specific requirements, and initiated the drawing for challenge topics in the Idea Track.
Mr. Fabien PFAENDER, French Director of UTSEUS, delivered the concluding speech. In addition to expressing gratitude to the corporate guests and attending faculty and students, he encouraged participating students to broaden their innovation paths with an international perspective and a future-oriented vision.
The desire for innovation, like a blazing torch, ignited the students' winter passion. The 5th UTSEUS Student Innovation Competition "Integrate in Learning, Insight in Innovation" is now officially launched! We wish this competition a resounding success!
