From October 12 to 15, the on-site final of the China International College Students' Innovation Competition (2025) was held at Zhengzhou University. A total of 7 projects from South China University of Technology entered the on-site final. After fierce competition, they finally won 6 gold medals and 1 silver medal. The number of gold medals ranks first among universities in Guangdong Province and among the top in China.

Among them, the project Seeking Gold from Water - Pioneers in Targeted Recovery of Valuable Metals from Mining Area Water to Empower Rural Revitalization, guided by teachers including Lu Guining, Dang Zhi, Wu Honghui and Cai Haiming from the School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, and led by Zhang Haiyan as the project leader, won the national gold medal. This is the second time the School has won the gold medal in the "Red Journey for Youth Dreams" track. So far, the School has won the national gold medal in this competition for three consecutive years.

Group Photo of the Participating Team at the Final Site (Zhengzhou University): Wu Honghui, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of the School of Environment and Energy (1st from left); Zhang Haiyan, Project Leader (2nd from left); Chen Kuiyuan, Project Member (3rd from left); Cao Jun, Project Member (3rd from right); Cai Haiming, Postdoctoral Fellow of the School (2nd from right); Lu Guining, Researcher of the School (1st from right)

Team Introduction:

The "Seeking Gold from Water" team is based on environmental discipline and brings together undergraduate, master's and doctoral students from multiple disciplines including science, engineering, agriculture and commerce to form an inter-university collaborative project team. Starting from the practical problems in their hometowns, the team faces the common wastewater treatment dilemmas in mining areas across the country, focusing on core pain points such as high treatment costs, large resource waste and poor treatment effects. After five years of technological research, the team has innovatively launched the "gold extraction - water purification" modular process. The implementation of the project results will continuously improve the ecological environment of mining areas and downstream areas, promote the dual improvement of agricultural product yield and quality, and realize the unification of ecological, economic and social benefits. It will "pan for gold in green mountains and clear waters", opening up a new path of green and high-quality development for rural revitalization in mining areas.

Basic Team Information:

Project Name: Seeking Gold from Water - Pioneers in Targeted Recovery of Valuable Metals from Mining Area Water to Empower Rural Revitalization

Participation Group: "Red Journey for Youth Dreams" Track - Creative Group 

Team Members: Zhang Haiyan, Chen Kuiyuan, Cao Jun, Fu Qixian, Hu Shiwen, Ye Han, Li Yihao, Zheng Xionkai, Chen Junyi, Yin Zixuan, Cai Yuhao, Yang Shanshan, Liu Jiawei, Yao Yifan, Xu Tao 

Guiding Teachers: Lu Guining, Huang Fei, Cai Haiming, Wu Honghui, Dang Zhi, Wang Han

Pictures/Text: Lu Guining, Zhang Haiyan

First Review: Li Wenjie

Second Review: Wu Honghui

Final Review: Zhu Nengwu