Two student projects of Omsk SAU won silver cups at the International Competition in China

The final stage of the International “Challenge Cup” Belt and Road International College Students Entrepreneurship Competition took place at Xi’an Jiaotong University from October 26 to November 3.

It should be noted that the competition has been held since 1999 once every two years. In 2024, within the framework of the 14th “Challenge Cup,” for the first time in 25 years, not only Chinese students but also students from other countries of the world took part in the competition. In total, more than 6,000 projects were submitted by students of 504 universities from 60 countries! Omsk State Agrarian University (Omsk SAU) participated with seven projects, two of which reached the finals.

A total of 564 projects from China and 15 projects from 14 universities of Russia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Thailand, Japan, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Azerbaijan were selected for participation in the final stage of the International Competition.

Omsk SAU was the only agricultural university in Russia that reached the final, as well as the only university that participated in the final with two projects at once, both of which were awarded silver Challenge Cups.

The projects are: “Rastvorimka” (Faculty of Economics, supervisors: M.N. Gapon and I.V. Baranova); “In frame” (Faculty of Technical Service in the Agro-Industrial Complex, supervisors: S.P. Prokopov, A.S. Soyunov).

To present the projects in the final stage of the International “Challenge Cup” Entrepreneurship Competition among university and college students “One Belt, One Road” at Xi’an Jiaotong University, Omsk SAU sent: Sergey Petrovich Prokopov, Candidate of Technical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Agroengineering of the Faculty of Technical Service in AIC; Irina Viktorovna Baranova, Candidate of Economic Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Economics, Accounting and Financial Control of the Faculty of Economics; and students — Pavel Brikatnin (FTS in AIC), Evgeniya Ball (Faculty of Agrochemistry, Soil Sciences, Ecology, Environmental Engineering and Water Resources Exploitation), and Yana Leven (FE).

The members of the “Rastvorimka” team presented a project of eco-friendly and biodegradable tableware, which is created from already recycled waste using special technologies. As a result, it easily decomposes in liquids and does not pollute the environment. Such tableware, developed on the basis of potato peel, can become an excellent, safe, and permanent alternative to plastic tableware.

The members of the “In Frame” team presented a project for developing a construction of a turning mechanism for the motor-propeller group of UAVs. Thanks to this development, the maneuverability of the drone increases, and the speed rises by at least 70%. Energy consumption does not change, which is a very important indicator.

During the week, the teams also visited cultural and historical landmarks of the cities of Xi’an and Hanzhong, went on excursions to leading technological companies of China and got acquainted with their advanced scientific and technical developments, and also, using the example of Xi’an Jiaotong University, learned about how cooperation between universities and enterprises in China develops.

We thank Xi’an Jiaotong University for the excellent organization of the competition!

Irina Viktorovna Baranova:
“Participation of the Omsk SAU teams in the final of the ‘One Belt, One Road’ Entrepreneurship Competition made it possible to gain rich experience in presenting and defending projects at the international level. Acquaintance with competitors’ projects, their innovative spirit, enthusiasm, and positive attitude of all participants of the event served to strengthen the motivation of teachers and students in the further development of project activities. I would like to say special words of gratitude to the leadership of Omsk SAU for the opportunity to be involved in such a significant event, as well as to the staff of the Department of International Relations for their assistance and support at a high professional level.”

Project team “Rastvorimka”:
Supervisors: Irina Viktorovna Baranova, Marina Nikolaevna Gapon
Project leader: Angelina Nesterovich
Other team members: Yana Leven, Yulia Rybalko, Tatyana Novikova, Viktoria Dolgova

Sergey Petrovich Prokopov:
“From October 26 to November 3, the team of the Faculty of Technical Service in AIC “In Frame” consisting of: student of group B-41 CS Pavel Alekseevich Brikatnin, 2nd-year master’s student of the Faculty of Agrochemistry, Soil Science, Ecology, Land Use and Water Management Evgeniya Ball, and Associate Professor of the Department of Agroengineering Sergey Petrovich Prokopov, took part in the final of the XIV International Student Entrepreneurship Competition ‘One Belt, One Road.’ The competition was held at Xi’an Jiaotong University, city of Xi’an, People’s Republic of China. The team defended a project on the development of a turning mechanism for the motor-propeller group of an unmanned aerial system (drone). As a result of the competition, the team won a silver cup (2nd place). Within the framework of the competition, we visited significant historical sites of the cities of Xi’an and Hanzhong, as well as advanced enterprises in mechanical engineering, innovative energy solutions, and 3D prototyping. The trip left many positive impressions, especially about the scale of the two university campuses, the organization of the competition, and the reception and support of the host side.”

Project team “In Frame”:
Supervisors: Sergey Petrovich Prokopov, Aleksey Sergeevich Soyunov
Project leaders: Nikita Pankin, Pavel Brikatnin
Other team members: Evgeniya Ball, Alexandra Eglit

Pavel Brikatnin:
“In the city of Xi’an, I had the opportunity to take part in an international scientific competition. Xi’an is an ancient city with a rich history, famous for its Great Silk Road and the famous Terracotta Warriors. I was impressed by the developed infrastructure of the city, which harmoniously combines modern and historical elements. The streets are clean, well-organized, with many parks and convenient pedestrian areas. Chinese cuisine in Xi’an is especially diverse and piquant: I tried many local dishes, including biangbiang noodles and the famous jiaozi dumplings.”