This fall, more than 1,600 new graduate students have joined the Tsinghua SIGS family, enrolling in fields such as electronic information, resources and environment, energy and power, materials and chemical engineering, and programs at Tsinghua-Berkeley Shenzhen Institute (TBSI) and Open FIESTA.
For the past two weeks, they have been taking part in intensive orientation activities aimed at helping them locate academic and campus resources, exchange with faculty and senior students, and settle into graduate school life.
We interviewed some of our newest cohort, each with diverse experiences and stories, and learned more about their dreams and future plans at SIGS.
Li Hongjia
Master’s student in Electronic Information (Computer Technology)
Li had her mind set on Tsinghua University since high school, and worked hard to achieve her dreams of being part of the Tsinghua community one day. In 2019, she visited Shenzhen for the first time and was attracted to the city’s innovative vibe, urban planning and its people.
“I like the young and energetic vibe of Shenzhen, and many top IT companies such as Huawei and Tencent have established their headquarters here. I hope to make full use of the SIGS platform, and bring vitality to the city.”
Yang Hongjun
Master’s student in Electronic Information (Artificial Intelligence)
Yang completed a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and automation, and started to gain interest in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) when writing his undergraduate thesis. He hopes that his diverse background will give him a broader perspective in the future.
“With the coming of the 5G era, AI will become increasingly prevalent in our daily lives. As this year marks the 40th anniversary of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone, I hope to make progress in AI research and hardware integration, and contribute to the city’s development.”
Zhou Xuan
Master’s student in Hospital Management
Zhou completed her undergraduate degree at the Peking University Health Science Center, majoring in medicine and economics. At SIGS, she hopes to explore interdisciplinary possibilities in hospital management, and uphold Tsinghua's spirit of “Self-Improvement and Social Responsibility”. She believes that diverse perspectives at SIGS will help her think out of the box and achieve more in the future.
Shenzhen has always given Zhou a feeling of vitality, inclusivity and freedom. "As young people living in such a vibrant city, I am sure we will generate and spark more new ideas and creativity.”
In the future, she hopes to apply her knowledge to solve problems and make a valuable impact on the healthcare system.
Zeng Shengfeng
Ph.D. student at TBSI
Zeng is an incoming Ph.D. student at the TBSI Environmental Science and New Energy Technology Research Center. Apart from a passion for research, he is also a piano-lover and composer, and believes that inspirations from science can stem from different places.
“I was attracted to the joint Ph.D. program between Tsinghua University and UC Berkeley because it offers opportunities to learn from professors at these two top universities, and also provides the chance to study abroad. When I came for the interview last year, Prof. Zou brought me around the laboratory and briefly introduced the ongoing projects of the research group. That was when I became determined to join TBSI. The government has placed rich resources in Shenzhen, and I believe that my research skills will be greatly improved.”
Photos provided by interviewees
Editors: Karen Lee, Paula Kelleher
