Young engineers competition attracts over 50,000 students

The 18th Shanghai Future Engineers Competition has attracted over 50,000 primary and middle school students in a hybrid format.

With the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics approaching, the competition has asked students to design a curling robot to perform tasks within a specified time.

Entries are also invited in categories of construction, engineering, software and others.

Under the pandemic, most competition entries will be submitted online for review. Students will do a screening interview on November 13 before they move onto the final stage.

ASML, a leading company in the lithography industry, has provided funding of 500,000 yuan (US$78,126) for the competition, becoming the event's sponsor for a fifth consecutive year.

Over 90 percent of ASML's staff are engineers or have an engineering background.

So, besides financial support, it can also help students to communicate and learn from current engineers, and help to nurture a new generation of innovative engineers, according to Shen Bo, the company's vice president.

"The competition not only advances scientific education, but it also cultivates a future generation of innovative leaders and thinkers," said Shi Rongfan, executive vice chairman of Shanghai Science Education Development Foundation.

"It is important that we provide the best for our children and for them to continue to grow outside of the classroom, too."