On July 30th to 31st, a representative team from South China University of Technology took part in the 13th National Zhou Peiyuan College Student Mechanics Competition. The team consisted of Chen Yahui, a student from the 18th Mechanics Innovation Class of the College of Civil Engineering and Transportation, Xiang Qian, a student from the 20th Mechanics Innovation Class, and Yuan Pan, a student from the 20th Mechanical Innovation Class of the School of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering. The competition, specifically the Group Event 'Theoretical Design and Operation', was hosted at Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Led by Zhang Run, a teacher from the College of Civil Engineering and Transportation, our university team achieved remarkable results in the competition. Among the 36 participating teams nationwide, we secured the 4th position and were awarded the second prize. Notably, we were being the first among the second prize winners. Zhang Run and Zhou Licheng, teachers from the College of Civil Engineering and Transportation, received the Outstanding Instructor Award in this competition as representatives of the guiding teachers for the team.
The National Zhou Peiyuan College Student Mechanics Competition, co-hosted by the Chinese Society of Mechanics and the Zhou Peiyuan Foundation, is a highly influential and widely participated competition among universities across China. It is held once every two years. In the team competition of Theoretical Design and Operation of this event, participating universities were selected by the organizing committee based on the personal results of the national mechanics competition, as well as regional balance considerations. A total of 36 teams were formed, representing 37 universities including Shanghai Jiao Tong University, University of Science and Technology of China, Harbin Institute of Technology, Beihang University, Xi'an Jiaotong University, and Huazhong University of Science and Technology.
Figure 1. A group photo of our university's representative team and accompanying teachers (from left to right: Xiang Qian, Zhang Run, Yuan Pan, Chen Yahui).
Figure 2. Our university's representative team receiving awards at the closing ceremony.
.
The Theoretical Design and Operation group event requires participating teams to utilize knowledge in theoretical mechanics and material mechanics as the foundation. They are tasked with collaboratively creating effective devices to achieve specific goals in response to practical problems. Through multiple stages of competition, the teams' abilities in relating theory to practice, hands-on skills, and innovation are comprehensively evaluated. Our university received strong support from the Academic Affairs Office for this competition. To prepare for the event, the Department of Engineering Mechanics organized a 10-day pre-match training for the participating team members. Guiding teachers Zhang Run, Zhou Licheng, as well as faculty members Yao Xiaohu and Zhang Hong from the Mechanics Department, were fully engaged in pre-competition guidance and preparation work. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, including multiple postponements of the event and the lack of substitute players, our representative team overcame these difficulties and achieved excellent results. They showcased the proactive spirit and exceptional professional abilities of our students from South China University of Technology. The competition also facilitated exchanges and learning among sister institutions, providing valuable experience and insights for our university's reform in basic mechanics teaching and student development. We believe that our students will continue to achieve outstanding performances in this competition in the future!
Department of Engineering Mechanics