Faculty and students of the School of Design were decorated with five awards at the recently concluded 2024 International Train Design Competition which was sponsored by the International Rail Vehicle Industry Design Alliance (RVID) and hosted by CRRC Corporation Limited (CRRC). The Competition attracted top designers and works from around the world, focusing on innovative and sustainable rail transport solutions.

Ranking among the top, the School of Design secured a total of five awards, demonstrating the University’s innovative achievements in rail transport design. Among the awards, the University received the Excellent Organization Award (Group). The student team of Chen Junge, Li Qi, Hu Wei, Zhang Mingyang, and Guo Yixuan, supervised by Professors Yang Jian and Wang Chao from the Department of Product Design, won a Silver Prize for their work “Vortex”, one of only three awarded globally. Additionally, Professors Xu Yongsheng and Gao Pengfei along with graduate students Dong Qian, Yin Yu, and Zhang Yinghao, won the Promising Star Award for their creation “Future Smart Ecological Multilayer Rail Transit System”. This award was also given to Pei Shuaiyang, an undergraduate student for his design of the “Intercontinental Maglev Non-Stop Transfer System”, under the supervision of Professor Xiang Zerui, and the AI Special Award went to Zhang Yu for his “Dynamic Future—Design of the Vacuum Maglev Train Concept”.

The Silver Award-winning design “Vortex” is celebrated for its futuristic idea of “seamless transfer”, which redefines the convenience and efficiency of future travel.

Focusing on “Innovation, Design and Breakthrough”, the Competition was oriented towards “Rail Transit System for Life, Health and Sustainable Development”, and encouraged designers to explore new boundaries in rail transport design from multiple dimensions, including digitalization, intelligence, user-friendliness, and green development.