In an era of rapid technological advancement and global uncertainty, Chung Yuan Christian University (CYCU) hosted the 3rd Future Problem-Solving Competition on August 27, 2025. The event emphasized cross-disciplinary collaboration, encouraging students to integrate professional knowledge with creative thinking to propose practical, impactful solutions for society.
This year’s competition attracted 66 teams from 51 universities nationwide, with 15 teams advancing to the finals at CYCU’s Golden Glory Auditorium. Executive Vice President Shih-Ming Pi remarked that the competition is not merely about winning but about cultivating critical abilities in teamwork, problem-solving, and cross-disciplinary thinking—skills essential for future society.
The championship went to CYCU’s PlastiClassify team (Intelligent Computing & Big Data Program), which developed a low-cost “LEGO Black Box” system combining AI and near-infrared spectroscopy to classify plastic toys with 99% accuracy, promoting circular economy and sustainability. The runner-up, Eat Just Enough from CYCU’s Electrical Engineering Department, proposed a smart dietary system using machine learning and physiological feedback to encourage healthy, low-carbon, waste-free eating, aligning with SDG 2 and SDG 12. Third place went to Blue Lab, a joint team from NTUE, NTU, and STUST, with an AR- and IoT-based platform for ocean cleanup and citizen science. Honorable mentions included projects on AI-driven product lifecycle management, foreign worker smart-care platforms, and an innovative “waste-wine-to-ethanol” machine.
The jury, composed of leaders from industry, academia, and law—including GIGABYTE GM Hsien-Ming Meng, YCMF Chairman Chien-Hsin Hsieh, M&A lawyer Chien-Yuan Yang, NTU Professor Mei-Mei Sung, and cultural leader Mei-Chen Chiu—praised students’ creativity and dedication. They stressed that competitions are just the beginning, urging students to refine professional expertise, strengthen teamwork, and apply their skills to real-world challenges.
Professor Mei-Mei Sung emphasized, “The future is an asset. Only by identifying problems from a future perspective and proposing solutions ahead of time can true competitiveness be demonstrated.” Lawyer Chien-Yuan Yang added that despite rising global competition, the students’ performance reflected hope for Taiwan’s future.
CYCU highlighted that the competition reflects the university’s holistic education philosophy, aiming to cultivate lifelong learners with professional competence, creativity, and social impact, while preparing youth to inject new vitality into society.
