ZHENGZHOU, China, Oct. 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — In a report published by Xinhua News Agency, the finals of the China International College Students’ Innovation Competition 2025 were held in Zhengzhou from October 13 to 15. Co-organized by the Ministry of Education, 10 other central government departments, and the People’s Government of Henan Province, the event was hosted by Zhengzhou University and the Zhengzhou Municipal People’s Government. Organizers said the competition received 6.19 million project submissions involving 24.43 million participants from 5,673 universities across 161 countries and regions.
On October 15, the final round took place at Zhengzhou University, where six teams from universities in China and abroad presented their projects and fielded questions from judges. Tsinghua University won the top prize with its project, “Next-Generation General-Purpose Model and AI Agent Ecosystem Based on Brain-like Architecture”. Zhejiang University took second place for “YiWise – The Industry Leader in AI Large Model Interactive Marketing Services”. Third-place honors went to The Chinese University of Hong Kong (“LightSpeed Interconnect – Neuromorphic Optical Processor for Next-Generation Data Center Interconnects”), Nanjing University of Science and Technology (“Guang Yin – High-Speed Cable Electromagnetic Shielding Film for AI Training”), a joint team from the University of Oxford and University of Leicester (“Enzyme Surge”), and Nanyang Technological University (“BIOV – Leading the New Era of Immune Cell Therapy Technology”).
The awards ceremony was followed by a flag handover ceremony, where representatives from the Ministry of Education, Henan Province, and Jiangsu Province—host of the 2026 competition—formally transferred the event flag. The gathering also featured the Excellent Project Exhibition and Resource Connection Fair, and the Innovation Conference for World University Students.
Themed “Dare to Differ, Dare to Win”, the China International College Students’ Innovation Competition 2025 aimed to be “more rooted in China, more global in reach, more educational in focus, more comprehensive in scope, more innovative in spirit, and more collaborative in action,” according to the organizers. The competition drew participation from all of the world’s top 100 universities, and has become an important platform for academic exchange and collaboration among young innovators in China and abroad. This year also marked the debut of a dedicated Hong Kong and Macao regional contest. By holding seven regional competitions in Europe, Africa and other parts of the world, organizers said the event expanded its global reach through a multi-site format.
