With a self-assured image as an innovator and significant ambition, there is no doubt that graduate student Zhou Yi from the Department of Physics will be a success in the future. Having lodged 19 patents through his academic career so far, 14 of which have been published and undergone substantive examination, Zhou Yi’s decision to go to the National University of Singapore to complete a Ph.D. reflects positively on Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) and its innovative research-oriented spirit.

Zhou Yi had acquired national scholarships to fund his master’s degree, while also building up a significant amount of research experience at SUSTech. He spoke to the Newshub about his time at SUSTech.

Laying a solid foundation of research paves the way

Zhou Yi pointed out that learning requires a steady approach, much like climbing. Students must persevere in order to learn, and succeeding is the result of multiple stages of growth. “SUSTech encourages students to participate in scientific research, thereby creating fantastic conditions that have made me who I am today.”

Zhou Yi said that he entered the laboratory as early as his sophomore year. He recalled that the first research project he completed during the undergraduate years at Lanzhou University, adding that “This experience also helped me find my interest. It was indeed the ‘first bucket of gold’ on my academic path.”

In 2017, Zhou Yi joined Professor He Jiaqing’s research group in the Department of Physics and specialized in thermoelectric devices and isotope battery systems, an area in which he is very interested. During his postgraduate studies, he also successfully filed a key project for the Science and Technology Innovation and Cultivation Special Fund for College Student in Guangdong Province (“Climbing Plan”) as the project leader, and published a SCI paper on the direction of thermoelectric devices as the first author. He has also served as a reviewer for high-level energy journal Energy Conversion and Management. This was on top of all his patent application work.

Zhou Yi said that full mastery of basic knowledge is often the source of motivation for innovation. When doing research projects, he did not rush to make progress. His first step is often conducting a review of the existing literature before returning to the project to find his own research goals. With this method, Zhou Yi laid a solid foundation for his research in undergraduate and postgraduate studies, without being delayed by unnecessary detours.

Apply for Patents, Acquire New Knowledge

His tutor’s encouragement was an excellent motivator for Zhou Yi’s movement towards his goals and scientific research achievements. So far, he has had 14 invention patents published and entered substantive examination, while a further 5 PCT patents have been submitted for application. While some people call Zhou Yi an inventor, he believes that these patents are based on periodic achievements of scientific research projects. They might be simple or efficient preparation processes, or intermediate products of high-tech research. ” Professor He Jiaqing instilled in me the belief that every progress is worth recording and every achievement is worth recognizing.” With rich scientific research experience, he broke up a large scientific research project into small pieces, and patents were “eggs” that appeared on the road of scientific research at the right time. Zhou Yi said that Professor He Jiaqing was very supportive and encouraged him to apply for patents.

Speaking of patent applications, Zhou Yi believes that this is a long process. According to the process, the approval of a patent generally requires the steps of submitting an application, applying for disclosure, and substantive examination to obtain the final authorization. This process takes two years to complete, and some cases can take up to ten years. Applicants tend to look for patent agencies to complete the complex procedures in the application process and fill out various types of contracts and terms. However, Zhou Yi found the agencies to lack the understanding he needed, so he would choose to write his own applications. When asked if there was any veto in the application process, Zhou Yi said: “It has been a good luck, and it has not been there yet.”

Use the resources wisely for scientific research

“SUSTech has innumerable academic resources, as long as you are willing to discover, there is inspiration everywhere.” Zhou Yi said.

Zhou Yi talked about how he found inspiration for his scientific research. He attended over 70 guest lectures in the 2 years he has been at SUSTech across a wide range of disciplines. He believes that the lectures are a rich source of information for students and faculty members alike. He was thrilled when his academic idol, nano-energy scientist, Professor Wang Zhonglin came to SUSTech. For Zhou Yi, it was like a dream come true.

He also found inspiration in talking to his colleagues and faculty members from other academic disciplines. “Through extensive interdisciplinary exchanges and cooperation, we can examine our own research from different angles and find more opportunities.”

It is his commitment to interdisciplinary involvement that he was able to support his patent applications, along with the knowledge he gleaned from the lectures he attended.

It is well known that inspiration for scientific research comes in individual moments. However, Zhou Yi, felt that his inspiration came through accumulating ideas all the time. People can take advantage of the opportunity and take the initiative in order to progress science.

From SUSTech to the future

Zhou Yi will travel to the National University of Singapore to continue his academic career and pursue a Ph.D. He is a strong believer in academic exchanges and cooperation, saying “When you go abroad, there are some gaps of anywhere between 1 and 20, or even 40 years, in knowledge in some areas. When you find them, you must dive in and learn as much as possible from as many people as possible in the shortest amount of time, in order to help your fellow man.”

As part of his continuing study, Zhou Yi hopes to expand his scientific network, learn from new people and develop some new aspects of his life. He believes that it is the only way to develop in a holistic method.

When we asked him what we planned to do after his doctoral studies, he spoke about the importance of developing scientific and technological talent pipelines, both within mainland China and in other countries.

Zhou Yi commented that he was very fortunate to have come to SUSTech. He had the freedom to research what he wanted and would remember the vitality of the green campus with joy. Zhou Yi added that he had gained so much from his time at SUSTech, and it had allowed him to get closer to achieving his dreams.