The final of the 16th “Challenge Cup” National College Students’ Extracurricular Academic Science and Technology Contest came to an end as its closing ceremony took place on November 12. Its highest honor, the Challenge Cup, went to Beihang University and Tsinghua University, which won six grand prizes and five grand prizes as well as one first prize respectively.

The contest was hosted by the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League of China (CYLC), the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST), the Ministry of Education (MOE), the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), All-China Students Federation (ACSF) and the People's Government of Beijing Municipality, organized by Beihang University, and sponsored by Beihang Investment Co., Ltd.

The closing ceremony of the 16th “Challenge Cup” contest

The closing ceremony of the 16th “Challenge Cup” contest

The closing ceremony of the 16th “Challenge Cup” contest

There were six entries from Beihang University, which came from the School of Materials Science and Engineering, the School of Electronic and Information Engineering, the School of Aeronautic Science and Engineering, the School of Economics and Management, the School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering and the School of Physics respectively. All of them won the grand prize, bringing Beihang the Challenge Cup.

Prepared since January 2018, these projects received careful guidance from teachers and much attention from leaders of the university and the schools. Therefore, during the final, the project teams were unanimously recognized for their solid foundation of specialized knowledge and skills as well as excellent ability to innovate, fully showing the all-round development and the courage to blaze new trails characteristic of Beihang students.

Zhao Gang, Vice Secretary of the Party Committee of Beihang University, delivered a speech on behalf of the organizer

Yuan Yaxiang, Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Director of the national panel of judges of the contest, introduced the evaluation work

Yin Xiao, Vice Director and Secretary General of the national organizing committee of the contest and Deputy Head of the Youth Development Department of the Central Committee of CYLC, introduced the organization of the contest on behalf of the organizing committee

Winners of the Award for Progressive Innovation received certificates from Wu Fayuan, a winner of the first prize of the 6th “Challenge Cup” contest, and Meng Fanrong, a winner of the first prize of the 11th “Challenge Cup” contest

Guo Wenjie, Vice Secretary of Beijing Committee of CYLC, presented the Award for Special Contribution to Beihang Investment Co., Ltd., the sponsor of the contest

Shi Xinming, Vice Secretary of the Party Committee and Secretary General of China Guanghua Foundation presented winners of the Award for Significant Progress with the certificates

Pei Huan, Secretary of the Party Committee and President of the China Foundation for Youth Entrepreneurship and Employment, presented the Provincial Award for Outstanding Organization to the winners

Universities ranking from 2nd to 21st in terms of team total received the Champion Cup from Ms. Yin and Liu Chuang, a winner of the first prize of the 1st “Challenge Cup” contest

Universities ranking from 22nd to 41st in terms of team total received the Champion Cup from Liu Huiqiang, Vice Director of Children and Youth Science Center of CAST, and Wang Xiaoxia, Vice Secretary of the Party Committee and Secretary of the Commission for Discipline Inspection of the organs directly under CASS

First authors of the science projects winning the grand prize received the certificates from Mr. Yuan, Xiong Zhuo, Secretary of Beijing Committee of CYLC, and Zhang Rong, Secretary of Sichuan Committee of CYLC

First authors of the art projects winning the grand prize received the certificates from Mr. Yuan, Mr. Xiong and Mr. Zhang

Fu Zhenbang, Secretary of the Secretariat of the Central Committee of CYLC, awarded the Challenge Cup to Beihang University (middle) and Tsinghua University (right)

Since the 16th “Challenge Cup” contest began, nearly three million young students participated in the university round held in 1,573 universities. After the province round, 1,513 entries from the Chinese Mainland made their way to the national round, in which 786 received the third prizes and 426 went to the final round after the preliminary evaluation. 21 projects from Hong Kong and Macau also reached the final.

During the final, over 100 experts from research institutions, high-tech enterprises and so on served as judges and decided the 35 winners of the grand prize, 105 winners of the first prize and 286 winners of the second prize among the entries from Chinese Mainland as well as three winners of the first prize, eight winners of the second prize and 10 winners of the third prize among the entries from Hong Kong and Macau. In addition, there were 14 winners of the Award for Progressive Innovation designed to encourage continuous innovation. To enhance participation, the judges also selected 13 winners of the Provincial Award for Outstanding Organization, five winners of the Provincial Award for Significant Progress and 11 winners of the University-Level Award for Significant Progress. 44 universities won the Champion Cup, and Beihang and Tsinghua shared the Challenge Cup, the highest honor of the contest.

“Navigate the Youth”, a medley performed by all the Beihang members of the Chorus for the 70th Anniversary of the Founding of China and Beihang Student Dance Troupe

“I Will Not Waste My Youth”, a song and dance performance

“Dream Chaser”, a dance performed by Beihang Student Dance Troupe

“Our Motherland Never Forgets”, a song sang by Ai Wenjun, who represented the entrepreneurs among Beihang alumni

A performance by Beihang University Marching Band

At the closing ceremony, the contestants issued a proposal of “Realizing Our Dream Through Challenge and Serving Our Country with Scientific and Technological Innovation” and called upon young students to become people with ideals, goals, capabilities, backbone, good qualities and self-cultivation, a sense of responsibility and achievements in a new era, and to contribute to the realization of Two Centenary Goals through scientific and technological innovation.

The handover ceremony of the “Challenge Cup” flag

The ceremony also witnessed Mr. Fu and Mr. Zhao handing over the “Challenge Cup” flag to Guo Yong, Vice Secretary of the Party Committee of Sichuan University, the next organizer of the contest.

Reported by Wang Qing

Photographed by Di Bailu, Lu Shujun, Ding Beining, Qian Siyuan, Yin Jiangxushan, Tian Wenhao and Gao Runqi

Reviewed by Tan Hualin

Edited by Jia Aiping

Translated by Li Mingzhu