Recently, the final of the 13th “Challenge Cup” National College Student Business Plan Competition wrapped up at the Beijing Institute of Technology. The event was co-sponsored by the Communist Youth League Committee (CYLC) Central Committee, the Ministry of Education (MOE), the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security of the People's Republic of China, the China Association for Science and Technology, All-China Students' Federation, and the People's Government of Beijing Municipality. The projects of "A1 and A2 Painkillers — Pioneers in Chronic Pain Inhibition as Targeted Drug" and "Brocade in Sichuan — Developing Unique Intangible Cultural Heritage IP, Inheriting and Innovating Shu Brocade Techniques" which were undertaken at Chengdu University (CDU) won the National Bronze Awards.
The competition, with a focus on playing its role in cultivating talent, featured highlights of digitized event organization. Since the start of work collection in April 2022, the competition has attracted a total of 1.424 million students from 3,011 universities nationwide with more than 330,000 works submitted accumulatively. After the preliminary competition at the university level, the provincial semi-final, the preliminary evaluation of the national final, the evaluation of the national final were carried out. A total of 154 gold award projects, 309 silver ones, and 1,079 bronze ones were selected. Since the launch of the 13th competition, more than 1,400 works have been submitted by CDU students, with 15 of them standing out from the university-level competition and participating in the provincial contests of Sichuan. After the provincial semi-finals and finals, CDU entries' projects have won five gold awards, four silver ones, and five bronze ones in Sichuan Province.
The project "A1 and A2 Painkillers—Pioneers in Chronic Pain Inhibition as Targeted Drug" (entry group: social governance and public services; Team members: Zhang Shutao, Tong Yu, Wang Mengqi, Sun Yue, Wang Xiaoduo, Chen Junxi, He Qihang, Li Kuilin, Ye Lingping, Song Zhuowei; Instructor: Xu Guangya, Shi Zheng, and Zeng Qin) demonstrated that targeted preparations contribute to a relatively high concentration of drugs in the target local area, thus improving the efficacy while inhibiting toxic and side effects and reducing damage to healthy tissues and cells. Based on two types of adenosine receptors, namely A1 and A2, the painkillers use computer-aided drug design techniques, such as virtual screening, molecular dynamics simulation, MM/GBSA, and energy decomposition analysis to score and compare small molecules in natural small molecule pools and select small molecules with the best binding stability and affinity. A1 and A2 painkillers will be a bottleneck-breaking, targeted drug in the pain management industry and fill the gap in the market of targeted drugs, thus driving forward targeted therapy for chronic diseases.
The project "Brocade in Sichuan—Developing Unique Intangible Cultural Heritage IP, Inheriting and Innovating Shu Brocade Techniques" (entry group: cultural creativity and regional cooperation; Team members: Zhang Zhaoyuan, Xiao Tingpu, Wang Qiuyan, Li Xianxue, Hu Wenhua, Zhang Ruyu, Yu Ya'nan, Nie Shasha, Zhou Chunxiao, Song Jing'ou; Instructor: Ma Liwa, Lu Kai, and Hu Guangjun) found through analysis and investigation that Shu brocade has been gradually replaced by other silk products due to the complicated weaving technology and high cost. However, to inherit Shu brocade, a world intangible cultural heritage, relevant products conforming to modern fashion aesthetics should be designed and produced in the industry to enrich the product variety. The project has also protected the traditional techniques that are gradually lost and explored a new best-selling path for the brocade by shaping unique intangible cultural heritage IP and inheriting and innovating Shu brocade techniques.
CDU attaches great importance to the competition preparation. Keeping pursuing the practice-based talent education philosophy, it aims to serve students' growth and personal development and build a high-level training system for innovative and entrepreneurial talent by organizing them to participate in such vehicle-like competitions and carry out “Youth in CDU” programs for project selection and incubation. Through new project development, cultivation, and transformation, it instructs students to combine what they have learned with economic and social development, thus vigorously serving major national strategies and urban development, practicing their specialized skills; meanwhile, they will promote innovation and entrepreneurship and set goals to contribute to China's development into a strong power in science and technology and a dreamland for youth to pursue personal ambitions.
