The final round of the 19th "Challenge Cup" National Undergraduate Academic and Technological Works Competition was held at Nanjing University from October 31 to November 3. The prestigious event was co-organized by the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League, China Association for Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Chinese Academy of Engineering, All-China Students' Federation, and the People's Government of Jiangsu Province.

A project from our college claimed the First Prize, setting a new institutional record in the competition's history. The winning entry, "Riding the Torrent, Guiding the Future with Light: Development and Application of Core Crystals for Miniaturized Solid-State Lasers in the Near-Infrared Band," was developed by a student team including Zheng Yuhang (OE-212), Zhang Jin (ME-C231), Zhang Chaoshui (OE-231), Wang Kun (ME-233), Guan Chengjin (OE-231), and Wang Shanmei (OE-222), under the supervision of advisor Ding Shoujun. Their project stood out from a highly competitive field of over 400,000 submissions, which involved more than 3 million students from 2,700 universities across China to secure a spot in the national finals and ultimately win the top honor.

This accolade marks a significant achievement stemming from the college's commitment to leveraging its disciplinary strengths and its educational philosophy of "promoting learning and innovation through competitions." It also serves as a testament to the dedication and collaborative research efforts of our faculty and students.

Moving forward, the college will continue to strengthen the integration of scientific innovation into education, further enhance students' innovative spirit and practical capabilities, and support their comprehensive growth and development.

(Written by Duan Shixiang; Reviewed by Ding Shoujun, Chen Xia, Zhang Min;Translated by Lu Li)