From July 25 to 29, 2026, the national finals of the 15th “Leica Cup” National College Students Metallographic Skills Competition and the 4th “Yongxin Cup” National College Students Metallography Conference were held at Wuhan University of Technology. Students from our university’s School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering rose to the challenge. They performed exceptionally well, winning two national first prizes, four second prizes, and two third prizes in the individual competition. The team secured first prize in both competition tracks. It went on to claim the highest honor in the Comprehensive Analysis Track—the overall “Yongxin Cup” championship—marking our university’s best-ever result in the competition.

Ranked among the major national discipline competitions for students at Chinese universities, the National College Students Metallographic Skills Competition is regarded as China’s most prestigious and influential national-level competition in materials-related disciplines. Tens of thousands of students from 673 universities nationwide competed through successive rounds of campus and regional selection, and more than 1,000 finalists advanced to the national finals.

After five days of intense competition, the NEFU team achieved outstanding results across both tracks. In the “Leica Cup” Experimental Skills Track, our students demonstrated strong practical skills and highly precise, standardized techniques. Shang Zhencheng won a national first prize in the individual competition; Zhang Yunlan and Xiang Yunpeng won national second prizes; and Chen Hongyu and Ju Xiaojian won national third prizes. The team also secured first prize in the Experimental Skills Track for the first time.

In the “Yongxin Cup” Comprehensive Analysis Track, Li Zhijian won a national first prize, and Jiang Hongwei and Wang Na won national second prizes. The three students’ combined scores in the individual final ranked second nationwide, enabling our university to advance to the highly competitive team championship round, in which only the top 16 universities nationwide were eligible to compete.

In the fiercely contested championship round, regarded as the pinnacle of the competition, Li Zhijian, Jiang Hongwei, and Wang Na demonstrated rigorous analytical thinking, composure, and strong response skills as they competed head-to-head against top teams from universities across the country. After a series of intense challenges, the team emerged victorious, claiming the overall “Yongxin Cup” team championship and first prize in the Comprehensive Analysis Track. Li Zhijian also received the “Yongxin Cup” Excellence Prize.

In recent years, the School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering has continued to deepen its educational philosophy of “promoting teaching through competitions, promoting learning through competitions, and integrating coursework with competitions.” The School has incorporated knowledge and technical standards from metallography competitions into classroom instruction, laboratory work, and practical training for the Engineering Materials course. By training students to meet the rigorous standards of high-level competitions, the School has strengthened their engineering competence and fostered a strong commitment to craftsmanship and excellence. The breakthrough results achieved in this competition are a testament to the School’s strong foundation in practical education and training. They also highlight the dedication to learning, commitment to research, and pursuit of excellence demonstrated by NEFU students.