Jiangsu Open University has achieved a historic breakthrough in the 19th Challenge Cup National Undergraduate Academic and Technological Works Competition, marking its first-ever national award in this prestigious event. Hosted jointly by multiple national organizations and Jiangsu Provincial Government at Nanjing University from October 31 to November 3, this year's competition attracted over 400,000 entries from 2,700 universities across China.
Our university's winning project, "Fish Health Guardian", earned Second Prize in the competitive "AI+" Special Track category. Developed by students from the School of Architectural Engineering, this innovative freshwater aquaculture disease monitoring system integrates cutting-edge artificial intelligence technologies including image recognition algorithms and predictive modeling to revolutionize disease detection and treatment in fish farming. The interdisciplinary team of ten students collaborated closely with faculty advisors throughout the development process.
This remarkable achievement reflects JSOU's strong commitment to fostering scientific innovation and technological entrepreneurship among students. Vice President Hang Zhuhong provided direct leadership support, personally accompanying the team to Nanjing and offering strategic guidance. Campus-wide coordination through multiple administrative offices ensured comprehensive preparation including specialized training sessions organized by the Youth League Committee and academic support from faculty mentors.
Beyond its competition success, JSOU actively leveraged this national platform by organizing nearly a hundred students to participate in accompanying events such as career fairs, technical exhibitions, and knowledge exchange sessions focused on artificial intelligence applications and research commercialization opportunities. Moving forward, university leadership plans to build upon this momentum by strengthening innovation-focused curricula and expanding interdisciplinary collaboration spaces to cultivate future generations of socially impactful researchers and entrepreneurs in line with national talent development priorities.
