On the afternoon of March 20, 2026, UTSEUS grandly held the opening ceremony of the 6th "Integrate in Learning, Insight in Innovation" University Student Innovation Competition in the hall of the Engineering Training Center. Attendees included Wang Chi, Deputy Dean of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship School at Shanghai University; He Lanlan, Head of the Major Competitions Department at the Engineering Training Center; Ding Hui, from the Academic Affairs Department; Liu Jianyong, Party Secretary of UTSEUS; Fabien Pfaender, French Dean of UTSEUS; and He Zhuoheng, Vice-Dean of UTSEUS. Corporate guests present included Zhu Wenhua, Director of Akila Technology; Olivia Plotnick, Founder of Wai Social; Jia Han, CEO of Sansen Weier (Shanghai) Robotics Co., Ltd.; Zhu Jia, Scientist at Saint-Gobain Research Shanghai; Zhou Xugui, Digital Center Manager at Shanghai Haaenclean Environmental Engineering Co., Ltd.; Luo Yun, R&D Manager, and Li Xiaojie, HR Manager from Shanghai Sanyou Medical Equipment Co., Ltd.; Yan Gengzhen, China Regional Director of Soundskrit; and Li Qiuling, Regional Manager for Education Partnerships, Greater China, at Dassault Systèmes. And also Su Hong, Director of the UTSEUS Administration Office; Xie Haihua joint professor; and the corporate relations team led by Cheng Yanyan; and participating students from various colleges also attended the opening ceremony.
The "Integrate in Learning, Insight in Innovation" innovation competition series is a university-level event co-hosted by UTSEUS and Eaton China. Compared to previous editions, this year's competition emphasizes internationalization, innovation, and AI empowerment. Participating teams are encouraged to foster Sino-foreign collaboration, with Chinese and French students forming joint teams to work together on innovations. The event was hosted by Peng Jingyi, a first-year undergraduate student majoring in Materials at UTSEUS.
Party Secretary Liu Jianyong was the first to deliver a speech. He warmly welcomed the leaders, corporate representatives, teachers, and students present, noting that innovation is a crucial engine for social progress and a core task in university talent cultivation. He emphasized that UTSEUS consistently adheres to the philosophy of "innovation-driven development," promoting the deep integration of student knowledge with industrial needs by building a platform for university-enterprise collaboration.
He Lanlan, Head of the Major Competitions Department at the Engineering Training Center, reviewed the history of collaboration between the Center and UTSEUS in engineering education and innovation competitions. She affirmed the students' initiative and expressed her hopes for the participants: to uphold the essence of an engineer, identify genuine needs, and value teamwork.
Olivia Plotnick, Founder of wai social, shared her entrepreneurial journey, emphasizing that innovation stems from willingly placing oneself in unfamiliar and challenging situations. She pointed out that innovation does not rely solely on code or data but on "having the right solution to an actual problem." She encouraged students to embrace friction and grow through experiences where they "sink or swim," using uniquely human insight to surpass AI and create true value.
To express gratitude for the strong support from corporate mentors, Secretary Liu Jianyong and Vice-Dean He Zhuoheng presented competition mentor trophies to the corporate representatives, further solidifying the collaborative mechanism between university and industry for talent development.
Anicet, a master's student, shared his research experiences in France, the United States, and China, highlighting the innovative differences: France values rigor, the United States encourages boldness, and China emphasizes execution. He advised students to enhance their language communication skills, embrace cross-cultural collaboration, focus on implementation, and cultivate diverse strengths.
Zhang Chaoming, the grand prize winner from the previous competition, shared his award-winning experience, emphasizing that innovation requires repeated iteration and teamwork. He advocated using AI to solve real pain points rather than chasing trends, proposing the concept of "technological aesthetics" where technology should embody logic, functionality, and humanistic beauty.
Zhao Ling, Director of the UTSEUS Laboratory and head of the competition organizing committee, detailed the theme, schedule, and evaluation criteria for this year's competition. He then randomly drew the preliminary round topics for the participating teams, bringing the atmosphere to a climax.
In his concluding remarks, French Dean Fabien Pfaender stressed that this competition serves as a vital platform connecting academia and industry while blending diverse cultures. Facing a rapidly changing world, he encouraged students to dare to explore the unknown and transform perspectives from different cultural backgrounds into unique competitive advantages. He urged students to embrace challenges with an open mind and use engineering wisdom to create sustainable future value.
The opening ceremony concluded with warm applause, not only marking the official start of the 6th " Integrate in Learning, Insight in Innovation" University Student Innovation Competition but also igniting the innovative passion of the Chinese and French students. In the upcoming competition phase, participating students will face challenges head-on, transforming theory into practice and using engineering wisdom to explore solutions to real-world problems, collectively writing a new chapter of innovation.
