The Final of 17th “Challenge Cup” National Extracurricular Academic Science and Technology Works Competition for College Students was held from March 26th to March 28th, 2022. SFS’s project “Medicine and Friendship in the Belt and Road Initiative: Investigation and Optimization Research of TCM Culture Communication in Russian-speaking Countries” instructed by Sun Daman, Meng Honghong, and Du Wenqian won the Second Prize of the “Challenge Cup” Final, marking a breakthrough in SFS’s history of participating in such competitions.
Project team building
In late 2020, the 17th “Challenge Cup” National Extracurricular Academic Science and Technology Works Competition for College Students started. Teachers and students of SFS actively applied for engaging in the Competition. After selection, application and competitions in UPC and Shandong Province, the project “Medicine and Friendship in the Belt and Road Initiative: Investigation and Optimization Research of TCM Culture Communication in Russian-speaking Countries” won the Grand Prize in 17th Shandong “Challenge Cup” and entered the 17th “Challenge Cup” Final as the only project of UPC in philosophy and social science.
Early in preliminary selection within UPC, the team members and instructors participated in activities organized by the university to fully understand the requirements of the Competition, making it a seed project with great potential.
Team members participate in the Expert Advisory Meeting for “Challenge Cup” Seed Projects.
Professor Mao Haoran gives suggestions for the project.
Ms. Dou Yaqin instructs team members in etiquette.
Team members and instructors work on project and determine the orientation.
UPC and SFS supporting the team through proper training
UPC and SFS set store by innovation and entrepreneurship. In the preparation stage, SFS arranged a room with necessary facilities expressly for the team, and UPC Communist Youth League Committee and SFS Communist Youth League Committee invited experts to give instructions, trying their best to support the team.
The team receives guidance from experts of UPC.
The team participates in centralized training in Shandong Province.
The team is mentored by experts online.
External expert Mr. Ma Yanxue gives advice.
Team members preparing arduously against all odds
Due to COVID-19, the “Challenge Cup” Final scheduled for November 2021 has been postponed to March 2022. The postponement did not dampen the will of team members. Instead, they worked shoulder to shoulder, putting overnight preparation of the final presentation on their routine list.
“Sometimes I was on the verge of mental breakdown, but the company of all members inspired me to stick with it.” Liu Shuning, the team leader, said this. Despite tedious work day by day, the team always stays true to its original intention. Team member Zhang Xi said, “A minute on the stage takes ten-year practice, while a five-minute report takes hard work day and night.”
Continuous revision of project materials
Professor Sun Daman communicates with team members on project report refinement.
The team works late at night to optimize the project report.
Late-night research of project details by the team members and instructors
The team keeps working during COVID-19.
Well-organized preparation despite COVID-19
Due to COVID-19, the “Challenge Cup” Final was held online. To ensure the good performance during the competition, the instructors held online meetings with team members every day to provide effective instructions on both their preparations and psychology. In addition, Secretary of UPC Communist Youth League Committee Ji Linhai, Secretary of SFS Party Committee Zhang Wei, Deputy Secretary of SFS Party Committee Zou Weizhong, and counselors visited the team members to encourage them before the competition.
Deputy Secretary of UPC Communist Youth League Committee Shi Guoqing communicates with the team instructors on February 28th, 2022.
Ji Linhai, Zhang Wei, and Zou Weizhong watch the online oral defense.
Ji Linhai and Zou Weizhong visit the team members before the competition.
Ji Linhai encourages the team members before the competition.
Xu Jinlin, one of the team members, said, “Affected by the outbreak of COVID-19, our instructors could not come to the scene to guide our oral defense, but they gave us online guidance every day, which fueled us with great courage and confidence.”The more difficult the time was, the more cohesiveness the team could demonstrate. The epidemic has brought a great deal of inconvenience to the team’s preparation for the competition. The team was prevented from going out of the campus to purchase clothing and other things for the oral defense, but they still overcame difficulties and did a good job. Hu Peiyu, a member of the team, said, “Our teachers and students inside and outside the campus tried their best and contacted many students, and finally borrowed the clothes and bow ties for the oral defense. We also invited senior students to do our makeup and hair style, and fortunately the result was good and satisfactory.”
Team members simulate oral defense before the competition.
The respondents are dressed up before the competition.
The respondents discuss questions related to oral defense before the competition.
Deputy Secretary of UPC Party Committee Wan Yunbo has a group photo with team members.
“Challenge Cup” is known as the Olympics of contemporary college students’ innovation and entrepreneurship. This achievement exhibits excellent innovative and academic competence of students from SFS, and also the School’s emphasis on innovation and entrepreneurship education.
