Recently, the VEX Robotics World Championship concluded in Dallas, the US. The CSTU alliance, formed by Shenzhen Technology University (SZTU), Southern Medical University (SMU) and Changchun Institute of Technology (CCIT), reached the Technology Division semifinals of VEX U Robotics Competition, a variant of the world championship for college students, on its debut and placed 14th globally in the Skills Challenge.

The students compete in the VEX Robotics World Championship. [Photo/Sino-German College of Intelligent Manufacturing]

This year’s championship attracted 112 teams from top universities in 19 countries and regions, including the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Purdue University, the University of Texas at Austin, the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the Singapore University of Technology and Design. As one of nine entries from mainland China, the CSTU alliance brought honor to Chinese higher education with its semifinal finish in the Technology Division.

The elimination bracket of 2025 VEX Robotics World Championship - Technology Division [Photo/VEX Robotics World Championship]

SZTU’s 1034 Robotics‑VEX team, based at the Sino‑German College of Intelligent Manufacturing, began preparations a year in advance under the guidance of Associate Prof. Zhang Yang from the Department of Robotics Engineering. Comprised of over ten undergraduates, the team won two qualifiers, the VEX U Asia Open Signature Event and the VEX U Asia Open final, securing its spot at the World Championship. Liu Di, a sophomore majoring in robotics engineering, joined three teammates from SMU and CCIT to compete in Dallas, supported in real time by a domestic technical team via online platforms.

Students from the CSTU alliance test their robot at the 2025 VEX Robotics World Championship in Dallas. [Photo/Sino-German College of Intelligent Manufacturing]

Hosted by the Robotics Education & Competition Foundation (RECF), the VEX Robotics World Championship attracts over 10,000 teams from around the globe each year. The 2025 VEX U Competition requires teams to independently design two robots and, through engineering innovation and tactical collaboration, complete head‑to‑head challenges.

Drafted by Yannie（李言）/ Class of 2026, School of Foreign Languages

Revised by Daisy（姚琦）/ International Cooperation and Exchanges Department

Edited by Brian（郑斌）/ International Cooperation and Exchanges Department