QINGDAO -- The Fourth SCO Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition was held in Qingdao City, east China's Shandong Province in June.

A student from Kyrgyzstan's National University has turned his childhood struggle with power outages into an award-winning wind energy project at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Youth Innovation Competition.
Dastan Karypbaev, a third-year student at Kyrgyz National University, has brought home top honors from the Competition, all thanks to a bold idea inspired by his rural upbringing.
At his university's Kyrgyz-Chinese Research Institute, Karypbaev is also helping with summer admissions, introducing prospective students to programs and the possibilities the institute offers.
The institute emphasizes both technical innovation and international cooperation - something its leaders say was key to Karypbaev's success.
His project - a small wind power generation system adapted to local climates and optimized for Kyrgyzstan's mountainous terrain - was ranked among the best in the SCO competition. It is no longer just a concept, but a viable plan with real-world applications. 
In developing this project, the student received ample guidance from Ma Juan, a Chinese associate professor at the university. 
The win has become more than just a personal milestone for Karypbaev, but an opportunity to build cultural and professional connections.