Student innovators impressed judges and audiences alike as the top prizes of the 2025 China International College Students' Innovation Competition Shanghai division were announced.

Held from July 11 to 13 at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the city-level final featured 425 projects from 35 universities, selected from a pool of over 56,000 applications.

After multiple rounds of intense competition, including a gold award contest and the final championship face-off, the top teams were awarded gold, silver and bronze medals.

Six standout teams from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Fudan University, East China Normal University, Donghua University, and Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences advanced to the championship round.

This year's entries explored cutting-edge fields such as artificial intelligence, big data, and the Internet of Things. Many addressed key urban and social needs related to smart cities, healthcare, education, and culture. Others made breakthroughs in emerging sectors like low-altitude economy, circular economy, and carbon neutrality.

In the end, Shanghai Jiao Tong University claimed both the championship and runner-up titles with two forward-looking projects: one on metamaterial product design powered by large AI models, and the other on a new generation of flexible OLED transparent covers. The third prize went to teams from East China Normal University, Fudan University, Donghua University, and Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences.

In addition to showcasing technical excellence, the competition revealed the deep empathy and determination that drove these young researchers. "We aim to help people struggling to breathe take a free breath again," said Tan Hao from Donghua University, whose team focused on medical innovation.

The China International College Students' Innovation Competition is co-hosted by the Ministry of Education, other central government bodies and provincial-level governments. Over the years, it has grown into China's largest and most influential innovation and entrepreneurship event for college students.

Source: Shanghai Observer