Glasgow College, UESTC

As China shapes the world's future through technological innovations, this competition is a chance to connect Kelvin’s pioneering spirit with the ingenuity of modern engineering. Show off your coding talents, embrace the challenge, and see how far your strategy can take you—just as Kelvin bridged continents, you will bridge innovation!" - Competition Brief

Students, academics, and support staff came together for two very special coding competitions this November, honoring the legacy of Lord Kelvin (William Thomson), the former University of Glasgow Professor whose bicentennial year (200 years since his birth) is being marked in 2024.

The competition brought together talented programmers who showcased their problem-solving skills on a challenging optimisation problem designed to celebrate his breakthrough in electrical and electronics engineering. In the 19th century, Kelvin, a brilliant Scottish scientist and engineer, revolutionised global communication by solving the technical challenges of the transatlantic telegraph cable, the world’s first communication link between North America and Europe. A problem entitled Lord Kelvin's Atlantic Cable Quest asked them to imagine a time when sending a message across the ocean was as challenging as exploring the depths of space today. 

The idea for the contest came from Dr Hasan Abbas, with the problem being set by Dr Mark Butala. Both men teach introductory programming (IP) and were present (Abbas in Chengdu, Butala in Hainan) to support the Graduate Teaching Assistants who ran and organised the events. Inspired by Kelvin's groundbreaking work, they designed a simulation game that let competitors "step into his shoes", applying their creativity and problem-solving skills to optimise underwater communication.

The 'CodeGrade' platform was used for real-time leaderboard updates. Once problems were distributed, students immersed themselves in solving the challenges, their scores continually updated as they submitted their solutions. This added palpable excitement and an enhanced sense of competition.

Chengdu

In Chengdu, the event was led and organised by graduate teaching assistants Daichen Liu, Yiqi Wang, and Ruijie Gao, taking place within the UESTC Library's Qiushi Hall. Lang Hu (Student Support and Engagment Officer at Glasgow College UESTC) and Chenyang Wang (Student Support and Engagment Officer at Glasgow College Hainan, UESTC) oversaw their activities.

The event commenced at 2:00 PM with a keynote speech by Mr. Longpeng Zhou, CEO of CycPlus and a distinguished UESTC alumnus. In his inspiring address, Mr. Zhou shared his journey from his university days at UESTC a decade ago to his entrepreneurial success. He encouraged students to explore beyond their curriculum, emphasizing the importance of bold thinking and decisive action in pursuing their life goals. During the Q&A session, when asked about academic anxiety and graduate studies, Mr. Zhou advised students to make choices based on their personal interests rather than following trends. He noted that pursuing graduate studies should align with one's academic passion rather than being seen as a default option.

Following Mr. Zhou's speech, Prof. Bo Yan reminisced about Mr. Zhou's university days and shared his expectations for current students.

Chengdu Winners

We are thrilled to celebrate the achievements of the following winners:

• First Prize: 刘嘉乐 (Jiale Liu) - Year 4
• Second Prize: Ma Wen Xi - Year 1
• Third Prize: 贺埕 (Cheng Hi) - Year 2
• Best Newcomer Award: 左越 (Yue Zuo) - Year 1

Congratulations to all the winners for their outstanding performance!

We also extend our gratitude to the organizing team, as well as to our esteemed faculty and guest speakers for their support in making this event a success.

Hainan

In Hainan, the organising team comprised Professor Mark Butala along with graduate teaching assistants Ruijie Gao, Xibang Yang, and Shuangyang Xie, and also Daichen Liu.

The competition attracted 16 talented students. Those who achieved valid results showcased outstanding problem-solving skills and creative approaches. The top four were declared winners. In the following award ceremony, the winners signed their names on a giant presentation cheque, adding a memorable touch to the event.

Unable to attend in person, Daichen Liu provided real-time online support, addressing technical issues and reviewing submissions on the backend to facilitate the competition's success.

At the end of the competition, five students achieved valid results, with the top four declared winners. In the following award ceremony, the winners signed their names on a giant presentation cheque, adding a memorable touch to the event.

Professor Mark Butala delivered a brief speech during the award ceremony, commending the winners for their exceptional performance and encouraging other participants to engage in future competitions. Professor Mark Butala then presented the prizes to the winners and took group photos.

The competition concluded with a group photo of all participants and organizers, marking the successful completion of this inspiring event.

Hainan Winners

We are thrilled to celebrate the achievements of the following winners:

• First Prize: 王家伟 (Jiawei Wang) , Year 3
• Second Prize: 刘炎烈 (Yanlie Liu) , Year 1
• Third Prize: 李思航 (Sihang Li) , Year 2
• Best Newcomer Award: 彦霖 (Yanlin Lu) , Year 1

Congratulations to all the winners for their outstanding performance!

Let’s continue to foster innovation and celebrate excellence. We look forward to seeing even more remarkable talent in future competitions!

 

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First published: 20 December 2024