From August 23rd to 24th, the 2025 Jiangsu Provincial Postgraduate Scientific Research and Innovation Practice Competition on New Materials Design was grandly held at Jiangsu University. Co-sponsored by the Jiangsu Provincial Postgraduate Education Steering Committee for Science Category I, the competition was jointly organized by Jiangsu University and Suzhou University of Science and Technology. Since its launch, it has attracted nearly 200 postgraduate teams from more than ten universities inside and outside Jiangsu Province, including Nanjing University, Southeast University, Hunan University, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing Agricultural University, Soochow University, Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing Tech University, Jiangsu Ocean University, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, and Jiangsu University. After the preliminary selection, more than 50 outstanding teams advanced to the final. Distinguished experts attended the event, such as Academician Zhu Shining of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Professor Yan Xiaohong (former President of Jiangsu University), Professor Wu Xinglong (Deputy Director of the Jiangsu Provincial Postgraduate Education Steering Committee for Science Category I), Professor Lu Jian (Member of the Committee), Professor Ma Chunlan (Member of the Committee), Professor Wu Chenxu from Xiamen University, Professor Xia Ke from Southeast University, Professor Chen Yuanping from Jiangsu University, and Professor Dai Jun from Jiangsu University of Science and Technology.

On the afternoon of August 23rd, the opening ceremony of the competition was grandly held in the 3rd Lecture Hall of the Convention Center, Jiangsu University, hosted by Professor Chen Yuanping, Dean of the School of Physics and Electronic Engineering (Integrated Circuits), Jiangsu University. Cai Yingfeng, Member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and Vice President of Jiangsu University, attended the opening ceremony on behalf of the university and delivered a speech. He introduced the achievements of Jiangsu University in postgraduate education and discipline construction, emphasizing that new materials are an important cornerstone of the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation. This competition provides a platform for young students to showcase their talents and exchange ideas, and he hoped that the students would transform their innovative achievements into an important driving force for the development of new quality productive forces. Subsequently, Academician Zhu Shining delivered a speech, pointing out that we are in a new era where materials science is constantly making breakthroughs, interdisciplinary integration is deepening, and application is accelerating, encouraging everyone to dare to innovate and bravely practice. Then, Professor Wu Xinglong delivered a speech on behalf of the Jiangsu Provincial Postgraduate Education Steering Committee for Science Category I, emphasizing that the competition adheres to the concept of "promoting learning through competition, promoting research through competition, and promoting innovation through competition". He hoped that students would closely integrate their personal academic pursuits with the national development needs and strive to become leaders and promoters in the field of new materials.

After the opening ceremony, the competition entered the expert report session, hosted by Professor Ma Chunlan from Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Member of the Jiangsu Provincial Postgraduate Education Steering Committee for Science Category I. Five experts, namely Zhu Shining, Yan Xiaohong, Wu Xinglong, Wu Chenxu, and Xia Ke, shared cutting-edge research results around the core directions of new materials, bringing an academic feast to the participating students, with enthusiastic on-site interactions.

On August 24th, the competition entered the final stage of the entries. This competition set up two tracks: the Basic Paper Track and the Achievement Application Track. The entries of the participating teams covered multiple research directions, including magnetic material property regulation, optoelectronic materials, ferroelectric materials, quantum materials, photoelectrocatalytic degradation of new pollutants, flexible electronic device construction, polymer composite materials for agricultural sensing, and the design of next-generation energy storage electrode materials. The wonderful presentations of the participating students won unanimous recognition from the on-site expert judges, who also put forward suggestions for the participating teams to further improve their innovation level.

After fierce competition, the competition finally selected 6 first prizes, 16 second prizes, 20 third prizes, and several excellence awards. At the award ceremony, student representatives took group photos with the awarding experts. Pan Jinbiao, Secretary of the Party Committee of the School of Physics and Electronic Engineering, Jiangsu University, announced the list of winners and delivered a message to the awardees, hoping that everyone would take this competition as a new starting point, closely integrate their personal scientific research dreams with national strategic needs, and keep forging ahead on the road of pursuing excellence.