Recently, the final of the 3rd Guangdong College Students Health Literacy Knowledge and Skills Competition, organized by the Department of Education of Guangdong Province, was successfully held at Southern Medical University. The team from Guangdong Technion - Israel Institute of Technology (GTIIT) won the second prize in the provincial competition, and the university was also awarded the "Outstanding Organization Award".

Since its inauguration in 2023, the competition has continued to grow in influence and has become a significant platform for promoting health literacy education among universities across the province. This year's event attracted thousands of students from 89 universities in Guangdong. After rigorous preliminary and semi-final rounds, 17 teams advanced to the final. The competition ultimately awarded 2 first prizes, 6 second prizes, 9 third prizes, 20 excellence awards, and 17 outstanding organization awards.

GTIIT's team, consisting of five undergraduate students of the Cohort 2023 from Biotechnology and Food Engineering Program—Tan Zhenyuan (team leader), Cao Saiyi, Wang Chenwei, Guo Yuhang, and Zhang Zuoyuan—competed under the name "Ctrl+H (Healthy)", guided by instructors Cai Jialiang and Chen Xiaojun. Through thorough preparation and outstanding performance, the team successfully reached the final.

The team name "Ctrl+H (Healthy)" is derived from the computer shortcut "Ctrl+H", symbolizing "Restart Health, Live Smartly". The team members explained that it represents their hope of using technology to help people better manage and improve their health, thereby enhancing their quality of life.

The competition consisted of three parts—knowledge quiz, situational drama performance, and health education showcase. The content covered areas such as 66 Health Literacy Guidelines, emergency rescue, nutrition and exercise, and mental health, comprehensively testing participants' knowledge, practical skills, and teamwork abilities. 

In the situational drama performance, teams created and performed their own scripts based on common health misconceptions and social hot topics, transforming scientific health knowledge into stage performances. GTIIT's team skillfully integrated professional knowledge into real-life scenarios, conveying scientific health concepts through lively and engaging performances. The performance centers on the concept of "immersive dreamscapes + personified science communication". It vividly conveys a story of how a university student woke from irregular schedules and imbalanced diets, and initiated a Microbial Battle. The performance uses a "microscopic battlefield" to reflect "macroscopic health", making scientific knowledge perceivable, understandable, and actionable.

In the health education showcase segment, universities presented innovative approaches and achievements in integrating health promotion into campus culture through daily teaching. With "concrete roles + scientific principles" as its creative core, the GTIIT team has constructed a unique health practice framework. Four health advocates come together, embodying "Control (dietary control) + Train (scientific training) + Relax (moderate relaxation) + Life (regular routine)" to form a healthy lifestyle. Through youthful expression, the performance bridges cognitive gaps, ensuring that health education is both scientifically rigorous and relatable to young audiences. Ultimately, it transforms specialized knowledge into "visible benchmarks, learnable habits, and memorable mnemonics".

"As students of science and engineering, we aim to apply our professional knowledge to innovative solutions centered on personalized nutrition, food safety monitoring, and health management in the competition," the team members said. "We believe that through precise health knowledge dissemination and scientific lifestyle guidance, we can help more people improve their health literacy and achieve more rational and scientific health management."

Text/Photos: GTIIT Youth League Committee, GTIIT News & Public Affairs