Xie Han, a 2016 graduate of SUSTech’s Department of Chemistry, now has been admitted as a chemistry Ph.D. student to Ohio State University. Before then, he also received offers from University of Pittsburgh and University of Delaware respectively, which both are world famous universities.

With a pair of black-frame glasses on his nose, Xie is dressed in a white T-shirt and a pair of trainers, Xie showed to us a pretty boy image which is exactly the science-math type.

Kind-hearted, energetic and versatile, Xie is willing to try everything out of his interest and happy to share. As a student reporter of Department of Chemistry, he has interviewed many guest professors and scholars. As the SUSTech tennis runner-up, he has participated in the Guangdong University Games on behalf of SUSTech. Xie likes singing, no matter he is in the dormitory or the laboratory, and he once sang at the Christmas Party of Shu Ren Academy.

“Leisure time activities are important in our daily life. We should maintain the balance between our study and life, and learn to savor life’s joys,” Xie smiled.

During the interview, a schoolmate passed by greeted him warmly. He smiled and said, “I met him when I was an exchange student in Poland, and we got on really well.” Xie always talks with a smile, and we can tell that he is quite popular. “My dream, to put it in a more general way, is to do some scientific research, find a stable job and have friends around, and enjoy my life,” he said.

Interest is the best motivation  

As the IK scholarship owner and SUSTech tennis silver medal winner, Xie hammered at the significance of interest. “Time should be spent on the things we are interested in, whether it is in the case of scientific research or after-school life,” Xie remarked.

In the second semester of Xie’s freshman year, he worked as a laboratory assistant of professor Wang Jun. He gained some insight into the frontier of chemistry after reading relevant literature under Prof. Wang’s guidance, and then he developed an interest in this field.

Xie Han got the First-Class Scholarship of Department of Chemistry, which is funded by IK Company to reward students who has demonstrated outstanding performance to scientific research and experiment.

Xie said during the interview, “I’m so delighted to win the honor, and I consider it as recognition of my laboratory work. I did some research in other fields as well, and of course, out of interest. Our laboratory mainly focuses on organic chemistry, but I also find the synthesis of stationary phase catalyst very interesting. Maybe I got the scholarship owing to my wide range of research interests.”

During the four years at SUSTech, in addition to studying in the laboratory, Xie enjoyed tennis sport a lot, “I was not so good at tennis at first, but I am very interested. Interest is quite important. Once you have interest in something, you are willing to invest time in it and step by step you will be strong in the field you are interested in, and in turn, it can constantly improve your ability. That is what we call a virtuous circle.”  

“Find your interest first, which will push you to move on, and then you are likely to do a more remarkable job in your chosen field,” Xie Han added.

A family of love: benefit from the guidance of the experts around you

We asked Xie Han:“Why would you chose chemistry in the first place? Have you already made up your mind to learn chemistry before you was admitted to SUSTech?” Xie Han answered with a smile: “when we chose our majors at the end of the second year, students of our class didn’t have many options to choose from.” He paused for a while and then added, “but if I had another chance, I would still choose chemistry.”   

Xie Han particularly mentioned his mentor, Professor Wang Jun. He said: “Prof. Wang is very nice. When we first joined in the research group, she led us to start with reading some papers and then assigned us some simple subjects. She never put pressure on us when we stumbled upon certain problems. Instead, she would help us find the problems, which, for us, was really a great relief.” He compared the Department of Chemistry to a big family, saying: “In class, you will find our teachers are very amiable. They’re always willing to impart knowledge to you, give you instructions on both studies and life. ”       

“I really appreciate the innovative curriculum of the Department of Chemistry. For example, Computational Chemistry, although originally designed for postgraduates, are also open to our undergraduates now, considering this subject is not that difficult. I was exposed to many cutting-edge fields in this course, getting more interested in chemistry and more determined to pursue my dream. ”       

The lab facilities for scientific research were better after Xie Han moved into the new campus in his sophomore year. From then on, he started to work on some subjects following his senior fellow students. “We enjoyed a good atmosphere in our lab. Every week we would gather together to discuss the problems we have met during the week, and our mentor will give us some advice. In this way, we could be inspired to brainstorm many illuminating ideas, which were very helpful for us to solve those problems.” With the improvement in his knowledge and skills, he began to explore his own interest by himself. “SUSTech boasts a good academic environment for scientific research. If you are really interested in experiments and research, SUSTech is precisely what you want. Even if you are not that into it at first, SUSTech will help you to cultivate your own interest, which is very important for one’s development. My dream, to put it in a more general way, is to change the world. Scientific research is about finding novel things, which makes us feel quite awesome.”

Lastly, he said: “I am really glad I could be a part of the big family, the Department of Chemistry.”

Some reflections: gratitude for teachers and the importance of sharing

It seems that Xie Han has been very determined on what he wanted and pursued his dream step by step during the four years in college: as a freshman he made up his mind to study chemistry and soon began doing research in the laboratory; he got a PhD program offer before graduation while participated in many extra-curricular activities…However, behind such excellent achievements, Xie once felt lost among different choices and uncertainties.

“Not sure whether I can get the PhD program offer, I also applied for some master’s degree programs. Considering my interests and future plan, I finally chose PhD.” When asked about how he chose among three PhD offers, Xie answered, “Although the Ohio State University is not in the downtown like the University of Pittsburgh, students of OSU have more freedom in study and more extra-curricular activities. Taking other advantages like scholarship in consideration, I think OSU is the best for me.”

About applying for programs, Xie said, “It is very important to communicate and share experiences with schoolmates. For example, when meeting with students applying for the same university. My friend Sun Jiaonv and I both applied for the OSU program. My interview was scheduled before hers so I gave her some suggestions after my interview. Then we were both accepted by OSU. My classmates and I also share experiences on choosing universities. When I hesitated on whether I should apply for OSU, some classmates discussed with me and gave me some useful advice.” Xie expressed his gratitude sincerely, “I am really very grateful for my teachers. They help me choose schools, write recommendation letters for me and care about my future. I also want to thank my classmates for helping me with choosing schools and learning English.”

When asked for advice for younger schoolmates, he replied, “My suggestion is to share. We know that every individual knows limited information. Taking application for schools as an example, there is so much information to gather that it is very easy to get confused. However, working together with your classmates and sharing information makes it a lot easier.”