Harnessing intelligent technologies to explore the Earth and pursuing the future of energy. On the morning of August 26, the final round of the 13th “Dongfang Cup” National College Students’ Exploration Geophysics Competition officially opened at the Qushi Lecture Hall on Yangtze University’s East Campus. A total of 148 qualifying teams from 30 provinces and municipalities across China will compete over six days in real-world engineering scenarios, including data processing and method selection.
The opening ceremony was attended by Xu Feng, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Yangtze University Committee and Vice President of Yangtze University; Zhao Bo, Deputy General Manager and Chief Geologist of BGP Inc., China National Petroleum Corporation (hereinafter referred to as “BGP”); competition judges and experts; heads of relevant departments of BGP; and faculty and student representatives from participating universities. Zhao Bin, Executive Vice Dean of the School of Geophysics and Petroleum Resources at Yangtze University, presided over the ceremony.
The ceremony commenced with the solemn national anthem. In his address, Xu Feng introduced Yangtze University’s educational characteristics and the development of disciplines including geophysical logging, electromagnetic exploration, and seismic exploration. He said that Yangtze University will remain closely aligned with national strategies and uphold the fundamental task of fostering virtue through education, leveraging the competition as a high-quality platform for practice-based education and cultivating talent needed for the new era. The University will also strengthen organizational support to ensure the high-quality delivery of the competition. He encouraged participating students to integrate knowledge with practice and develop strong professional capabilities through hands-on experience; pursue innovation and breakthroughs in cutting-edge areas of geophysics; and keep the nation’s fundamental interests in mind by integrating their personal aspirations into the broader national development agenda, striving to become geoscience professionals capable of shouldering the responsibilities of national rejuvenation in the new era.
Zhao Bo spoke highly of Yangtze University’s achievements in education and expressed his appreciation to the universities and academic institutions co-hosting the competition. He also reviewed the development of the “Dongfang Cup”. According to him, the competition has established a multidisciplinary platform for professional competition and created an integrated pathway connecting talent development, technological innovation, and industrial application. BGP will continue to improve the competition system, enhance the functions of the educational version of its GeoEast software, and expand its application among universities, to deepen university-industry collaborative talent development programs, thereby providing comprehensive support for the growth and development of young students. He encouraged all participants to cultivate a strong sense of responsibility toward the country, integrate their personal aspirations into China’s broader drive to build itself into a leading energy power, and strive to become a backbone force in advancing China’s independent and self-reliant development of geophysical exploration technologies.
At the opening ceremony, Wang Fang, a processing technology expert at BGP, provided an overview of the processing competition finals, while interpretation technology expert Shao Linhai introduced the interpretation competition finals. Amid enthusiastic applause, the host announced the official launch of the final round of the 13th “Dongfang Cup” National College Students’ Exploration Geophysics Competition.
Founded in 2013, the “Dongfang Cup” National College Students’ Exploration Geophysics Competition has become a leading competition in China’s geophysics sector, distinguished by its broad participation, strong professional focus, and high level of industry recognition. Closely aligned with real-world industrial and research scenarios, this year’s competition features two major tracks—software application and software development—and introduces a new track for international students. A total of 943 teams from 223 universities and research institutes across 30 provinces and municipalities registered for the competition. The organizers received 403 valid entries, with 148 teams advancing to the final round. Both the number of participating institutions and the number of teams reached record highs.
The competition is jointly organized by the National Technology Innovation Center for Oil and Gas Geophysical Exploration, the National Engineering Research Center for Oil and Gas Exploration Computer Software, BGP Inc., China National Petroleum Corporation, China University of Petroleum (Beijing), China University of Petroleum (East China), the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG), the Petroleum Geophysical Exploration Professional Committee of the Chinese Petroleum Society, the Exploration Geophysics Committee of the Chinese Geophysical Society, and the Exploration Geophysics Professional Committee of the Geological Society of China. Yangtze University serves as the host institution. The competition has also received strong support from China National Petroleum Corporation, Dawning Information Industry Co., Ltd., Intel, Huawei, and the Hubei Geophysical Society.
