From May 17 to May 19, 2025, the final round of the 18th “Challenge Cup” Guangdong University Student Extracurricular Academic and Technological Works Competition, co-hosted by the Communist Youth League Guangdong Committee, Guangdong Education Department, Guangdong Science and Technology Department, Guangdong Association for Science and Technology, Guangdong Academy of Social Sciences, Guangdong Student Federation, and Zhaoqing Municipal Government, and organized by Zhaoqing University, was successfully held. The competition attracted over 200,000 students from 161 universities, with more than 36,000 innovative works submitted. Ultimately, 2,074 works advanced to the provincial competition, and 831 projects reached the final round.
Guided by Associate Professor Fu Yang, the light pollution governance team, led by Ma Yihui and including Jiang Xuerui, Ye Yu, Yan Menglin, and Zheng Kexin, and the “three-governance integration” team, guided by Associate Professor Geng Xu and Associate Professor Liu Huayun from the School of Marxism, led by undergraduate Zhang Yu and including Chen Xuan, Li Qihua, Yang Anqi, Xie Sishan, Huang Yin’ai, Peng Zhewen, and Guo Xiang, successfully advanced to the final round. After fierce competition, the two teams won the Grand Prize and First Prize, respectively! Our students stood out among numerous entries, achieving a breakthrough in both the quantity and quality of awards won by the School in a single competition.
Image of the Team Competition Scene
Award-Winning Project Introduction:
Grand Prize
Project Title: When Lights Dim, Stars Shine: How Is Light Pollution Governance Possible in Megacities? — A Case Study of China’s First “International Dark Sky Community”
Team Members: Ma Yihui, Jiang Xuerui, Ye Yu, Zheng Kexin, Yan Menglin
Advisor: Fu Yang
Project Overview: The research team took Xiyong, China’s first “International Dark Sky Community,” as its case study. Through field research and case analysis, it demonstrated the feasibility of collaborative governance involving the government, businesses, and residents. The study found that when diverse interests are reconciled through co-creation mechanisms, achieving a win-win for ecological protection and economic development is not a pipe dream but a practical reality. By balancing public and private values and leveraging complementary departmental resources, the team effectively resolved conflicts of diverse demands and reduced barriers to interdepartmental collaboration, developing a replicable governance model to address public value failures, transforming the dynamic balance between ecological protection and economic development from theoretical vision to practical outcomes.
Discussion with Shenzhen Observatory
Discussion with the Shenzhen Branch of the China Urban Planning and Design Institute
Over two years of continuous research, with strong support from the Shenzhen Astronomical Society and Shenzhen University alumnus Xu Xiaocheng, a Longgang District People’s Congress representative, the team engaged with six key interview entities, including the Shenzhen City Appearance and Landscape Affairs Center, Shenzhen Meteorological Bureau, and the China Urban Planning and Design Institute, while actively participating in light pollution public education, advancing urban light environment governance from academic research to social action.
Interview with People’s Congress Representative
Team Members Participate in CCTV Documentary Filming
First Prize
Project Title: How Does “Three-Governance Integration” Work?: A Study on Rural Grassroots Conflict Resolution Mechanisms — A Practical Investigation Based on Longmu Town’s “Speak, Mediate, Discuss, Handle, Evaluate” Mechanism
Team Members: Team Members: Zhang Yu, Chen Xuan, Li Qihua, Yang Anqi, Xie Sishan, Huang Yin’ai, Peng Zhewen, Guo Xiang Advisors:
Advisor: Geng Xu, Liu Huayun
Project Overview: Using professional perspectives from public administration and sociology, the team conducted an in-depth analysis of the current development of the “three-governance integration” rural governance system, focusing on the experiences and challenges of constructing grassroots conflict resolution mechanisms under Guangdong’s “1+6+N” grassroots social governance framework. Despite challenges such as language barriers and scheduling difficulties, the team persevered, flexibly adjusting and adapting communication methods to smoothly advance the research process. The team’s practical efforts gained local recognition, with their results winning the First Prize in the 2nd Guangdong University Student Rural Governance Research Competition and an Outstanding Photography Award in the 2024 Guangdong “Colorful Villages, Co-Creating New Chapters” series of practical activities. The team’s achievements were reported by national media outlets such as Xinhua Net.
On-Site Team Interviews
Layout | Liu Weirui
Initial Review | Leng Yuxin
Secondary Review | Fu Yang, Geng Xu
Final Review | Huang Binhuan
