Students relish healthy competition

The 6th Youth Innovation Competition on the Lancang-Mekong Region's Governance and Development came to a close at Fudan University on Thursday, with teams of students attending an online awards ceremony and sharing their insights.

Themed on public health and medical care, the competition held by Fudan University and Shanghai Foreign Cultural Exchange Association saw 51 university teams from six countries in the region compete in the preliminary round in 2021.

Eight teams from countries including China, Cambodia and Laos entered the final.

Located in the Central South peninsula, with a basin area of about 795,000 square kilometers, the Mekong River, known as the Lancang River in China, originates from Qinghai province in China and flows through Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and the Mekong Delta in Vietnam, before joining the South China Sea.

The team, made up of three 19-year-olds from the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, won one of the awards for best projects for incubation at the competition. The team had suggested the idea of producing environmentally friendly face masks using coconuts, a widely available natural resource in Vietnam.

"Medical masks are effective in preventing viruses and protecting human health, but the polymer fiber and woven fabric used in making masks take up to 10 years to decompose," explains team member Le Minh Khue, who majors in international economics.

"Some countries have even classified masks as hazardous medical waste as they pollute the air, land and water resources if they are discarded casually," she adds.

In its research, the team cited statistics by the American Chemical Society that showed about 129 billion disposable masks are used every month around the world.

The coconut masks proposed by the team would include two layers made of coir paper－a material commonly found in countries in the Lancang-Mekong region－and an activated carbon layer made of coconut shells that has disinfecting capabilities.

"The entire mask is organic and biodegradable, and can be used for three days," she says.

"Such a mask does not require much investment, and the materials needed are not too difficult to find. Moreover, the gradual introduction of organic products into the market will raise people's awareness of environmental protection."

Meanwhile, a team from Fudan University was conferred the "most creative team" award for their idea of an online Lancang-Mekong youth public health forum.

According to the team, young people around the world can participate in discussions regarding subjects on the forum website or create their own topics of interest.

The online forum, which would be driven by partnerships between international organizations and academic institutions, would offer high-quality learning resources, training courses, downloadable e-learning materials and occasional online lectures by scholars.

"Since the launch of the Lancang-Mekong cooperation mechanism initiated by China in 2014, youth exchanges in the region have advanced," says Wang Bin, 20, a team member.

"Such a forum would further improve regional public health cooperation and build a Lancang-Mekong community of common health information."

Since its launch in 2016, the competition has seen over 300 innovative cases and projects presented by students from around the world, 80 percent of whom are from the region, according to Yin Dongmei, deputy secretary of the Party committee of Fudan University.

"We have deepened educational cooperation with universities from the region and jointly built an online platform for educational exchanges," she says.

Niwat Keawpradub, president of the Prince of Songkla University in Thailand, says the Lancang-Mekong area is one of the regions that boasts the greatest development potential in Asia.

"The pandemic has impacted the lives of many people. It is imperative that we focus on finding solutions that enhance the well-being of people," he says. "This context should encourage our youth to take action to build a great community around this shared river."

Pawinee Tongjinsang, who majors in business English at the Prince of Songkla University, says the experience of taking part in the competition has sharpened her skills in translation and her understanding of marketing principles.

The 21-year-old and her teammates developed a telehealth system that will be accessible via the internet and mobile phones using both the IOS and Android operating software. The system is aimed at reducing overcrowding at hospitals and increasing the efficiency of healthcare in the region.

Developed in collaboration with medical professionals and hospitals, the remote medical service system will include sections on healthcare information, counseling and medical diagnosis.