Taiwan’s Li Chia-chun, a doctoral candidate at National Chung Hsing University in the central city of Taichung, claimed first place April 11 in the student category of the 2017 steelChallenge-11, a computer-simulated steelmaking competition staged by the World Steel Association.
Comprising industry and student categories, the contest required participants to produce a mild grade of carbon steel at the lowest possible cost on a computer simulator within a 24-hour period. Over 1,400 participants from 37 countries competed in the regional championships last November, with five contenders in each category battling it out in the finals in Beijing, mainland China.
Li won the student portion of the event with a cost of US$219.03 per metric ton in the computer simulation, with Jeova Melo of Brazil finishing second at US$219.92 per metric ton. The Taiwan competitor, who spent some 200 hours practicing for the contest, also outperformed the winning score in the industry category, which totaled US$220.19 per metric ton.
Speaking after his victory, Li expressed gratitude for the support of his doctoral advisers, adding that he hopes the valuable experience he gained in the event will further his career development. His win led a strong showing for the Taiwan university, with NCHU graduate student Yu Cheng-wei also competing in the final round.
According to NCHU professor Wu Weite, the students’ excellent performances showcased Taiwan’s production expertise while boosting recognition of the Taichung university among major players in the global steelmaking industry. “This success will provide better job opportunities for our graduates, particularly those from the College of Engineering,” he said.
Known since 2008 as the WSA, the Brussels-headquartered global nonprofit organization was founded in 1967 as the International Iron and Steel Institute. It represents over 160 producers, industry associations and research institutes including Taiwan’s largest integrated steelmaker China Steel Corp., based in the southern city of Kaohsiung. (KWS-E)
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