The results of the 2024 University Physics Competition (UPC), held on November 1, were recently announced. A team from the School of Physical Science and Technology at ShanghaiTech University—comprising Lu Yaoxing ’26, Li Zhengyang ’26, and He Xinyi ’26, all majoring in Physics—won a gold medal with their outstanding performance. This marked the first time that ShanghaiTech students won a gold medal at the UPC.
Award certificate of the ShanghaiTech team at the 2024 UPC
The participating students (from left: Lu Yaoxing, Li Zhengyang, He Xinyi)
Organized by the American Physical Society and the American Astronomical Society, the UPC is a prestigious global contest for undergraduate students. This year, the competition attracted 681 teams from universities across the United States, Canada, China, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and other countries and regions. Teams of up to three members are required to apply physics principles to analyze real-world physical scenarios and to submit a formal paper describing their work within 48 hours. Participants need to choose one of two problems posed by the competition and provide specific solutions through simulation calculations. The open-ended problems are designed to assess students’ creativity, academic thinking, teamwork, and English writing skills. This year, 15 gold medals (2.2%), 118 silver medals (17%), and 201 bronze medals were awarded.
The ShanghaiTech team chose the problem titled “Space Station Air Evacuation Time” for their project. At the time of the competition, Lu Yaoxing was studying at the University of California, Berkeley, as part of an exchange program, while Li Zhengyang and He Xinyi were on the ShanghaiTech campus. The geographical distance and time zone differences posed challenges to the team, but the three team members managed to overcome these obstacles. They leveraged the rich resources of ShanghaiTech, undertook in-depth literature review, engaged in rigorous critical reasoning, and successfully developed a physical model. By combining theoretical analysis with numerical simulations, they refined and optimized their approach, ultimately earning the gold medal for their exceptional performance.
Analysis diagrams of two space station air evacuation models created by the team (partial)
“The UPC experience was truly invaluable,” the team members shared. “Thanks to the solid foundation provided by ShanghaiTech’s curriculum and practical knowledge gained through lab work, we were able to complete this project through exploration, experimentation, summarization, and innovation. Through this competition, we not only expanded our knowledge of physics but also enhanced our teamwork and creative thinking abilities. We worked towards a common goal, overcoming challenges and fully embodying the spirit of ShanghaiTech students.”
In recent years, ShanghaiTech students have consistently excelled in top-tier academic competitions. Moving forward, the university will continue to prioritize its international education approach, advocate the philosophy of “learning and teaching through competition,” and strive to cultivate high-quality, globally-oriented students with strong competitive capabilities.