The Brilliant Journey of Lab 414 Students in ECUST

In Lab 414 of the Information Building, ECUST, ten students from majors including Computer Science, Software Engineering, and Information Management and Information Systems came together over a shared passion for algorithms. 

Under the guidance of Professor Jianguo Yang, they grew from coding novices into young researchers. Many of them have earned admission to top universities such as Fudan University, Nanjing University and the University of Science and Technology of China, while others joined leading AI tech companies.

Professor Yang identified promising algorithm enthusiasts through freshman programming competitions and builds a self-sustaining mentorship system where seniors are responsible for guiding juniors. 

He has established a systematic training program featuring weekly algorithm sessions and intensive winter and summer camps covering competitions such as the Blue Bridge Cup, ACM-ICPC, and CCPC, sharing core knowledge and problem-solving techniques. 

Beyond academics, he covered the cost of algorithm-related textbooks, assigns each student a dedicated desk, and attends to their wellbeing, carefully creating a warm “second home” for students.

The lab is also a community. Weekend dinners, board games, workouts at the gym, and carefully planned birthday surprises make students far from home feel at ease. During the most stressful exam periods, a good meal or a campus bike ride helps everyone recharge.

The results speak for themselves. Achievements include ACM-ICPC regional silver and bronze medals, a national third prize in the National College Student Software Innovation Competition, national second and third prizes in the Blue Bridge Cup, a national second prize in the China Undergraduate Mathematical Contest in Modeling, one National College Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program project completed with distinction, two software copyrights, as well as publications at ICCV (CCF-A-ranked conference), and in an SCI journal (Q2). 

As graduation approaches, the spirit of “Curious, Supportive, Persevering” lives on. “The time in Lab 414 taught me not just professional knowledge, but how to grow alongside excellent people,” said Jianfeng Wang, one of the students in Lab 414. “This experience will be a lifelong treasure.” With algorithms as their boat and friendship as their sail, these young people head toward their own stars and seas.