The final of the 6th National University Student Social Security Case Competition recently concluded at Hohai University. A team from the College of Humanities and Law won the Grand Prize for “From a Policy-Supported Pilot to a Self-Sustaining Market Model: How Cross-Sector Collaboration Can Help Community-Based Smart Elder Care Stations Become Self-Sustaining—A Case Study of the Smart Elder Care Robot Station in Ronghua Subdistrict, Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area”. The team comprised Cui Xiaoyu and Song Miao, members of the 2024 undergraduate cohort in Public Administration, and Su Chang, a member of the 2025 graduate cohort in Public Administration.

The competition was co-hosted by Hohai University, the Jiangsu Gerontological Society, Nanjing University, Nanjing Agricultural University, and Nanjing Normal University. The School of Public Administration at Hohai University organized the event, with support from the Hohai University Think Tank on Aging and Technology. The competition aims to encourage students to engage with society and address issues affecting people’s livelihoods. Through research, case collection, and analytical writing, it seeks to strengthen students’ practical skills and overall capabilities and contribute to the development of social security in the new era. It received 109 entries from 53 universities nationwide. After an initial review, 20 teams from 12 universities advanced to the final.

In preparing for the competition, the team worked under the guidance of Li Yupeng and focused on emerging issues in social security. It examined the structural challenges facing smart elder care projects as they move from policy support toward greater market independence. Drawing on public administration, the team analyzed barriers to this transition and proposed forward-looking, practical policy recommendations. The judges recognized the case for its clear focus, rigorous analysis, and practical recommendations.

The award reflects the College’s efforts to strengthen practice-based education and promote learning through competition. The College will continue to encourage students to apply their academic knowledge to social needs and develop their skills through competitions and field research. These experiences will help students strengthen their ability to identify, analyze, and solve problems and prepare them for careers in public administration as socially responsible, innovative, and capable professionals.