(Reported by Liu Haiyan, Yu Zhitao) On October 12-13, the national final of the 1^st National Chemistry Experiment Innovation and Design Competition for College Students was held at Xianlin Campus of Nanjing University. The team, which was composed of Hu Xin, Chen Ze and Yan Tao from College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University (instructed by Liu Yuwen, Gong Chuqing), won the special prize.

Teams from 87 universities, including Peking University, Fudan University, University of Science and Technology of China and Wuhan University, attended the final. The "BZ Oscillation System and Its Application in Silver Ion Detection" submitted by Hu Xin (team leader), Chen Ze and Yan Tao of Wuhan University stood out and took the first place in the first round of the final, becoming one of the 5 teams which could directly won the special award (the other 5 special awards were determined by the second round of the final).

Wuhan University was well prepared for this contest, and received considerable attentions from the Experimental Chemistry Center (national level). Huang Chi, Zhao Faqiong, Hu Kai, Liu Haiyan, Wang Xiaoling, Hao Yongjing and other teachers and experimental technical personnel in the experimental center organized and guided the contest.

It is learned that the 1^st National Chemistry Experiment Innovation and Design Competition for College Students was sponsored by the Teaching Steering Committee for Chemistry Majors in Higher Education Institutions of the Ministry of Education, co-sponsored by the Joint Committee of National Experimental Teaching Demonstration Center in Higher Education Institutions of the Ministry of Education, and undertaken by Nanjing University. The Contest is another top-level contest in advanced chemistry for undergraduates following the National Undergraduate Chemistry Laboratory Tournament. It is a team event, with each team consisting of 3 players, including a team leader, and is divided into three categories: “ innovative experimental design”, “innovative design of existing experiments” and “experimental design for popularization of science”.

 (Group photo, Chen Ze, Hu Xin and Yan Tao  from the left to right)

 (Photo of accepting the prize,  the second one on the right is Hu Xin)