Zijie Qu, a faculty member of the University of Michigan–Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute (UM-SJTU JI, JI hereafter), has been awarded the title of SJTU Youth Post Expert.
The final evaluation meeting for the 2025 SJTU Youth Post Expert selection was held at the Library and Information Building on the SJTU Minhang Campus on June 26. Following a comprehensive process that included self-nomination, departmental recommendation, and preliminary material review, 47 candidates advanced to the final round. Each candidate gave a presentation and was evaluated by a panel of experts from both inside and outside the university. JI Associate Professor Zijie Qu distinguished himself through his academic excellence and dedication to the university community, earning this significant honor among a highly competitive group of nominees.
The Youth Post Expert program is part of SJTU’s ongoing efforts to recognize and promote exemplary young faculty, staff, and medical professionals. The award aims to showcase the contributions of young talents, highlight their spirit of dedication, and inspire peers to support the university’s “Double First-Class” initiative through excellence in teaching, research, and innovation.
Zijie Qu is a tenure-track associate professor and Ph.D. advisor at JI, a member of Shanghai Overseas High-level Talent Introduction Program and Shanghai Rising Star Program Sail Special Project. He is mainly engaged in the swimming and collective movement of microorganisms on complex surfaces, the complex dynamics of protein-based bioactive substance systems, and the research on the laws of non-equilibrium physical systems based on artificial intelligence. His research achievements have been published many times in international academic journals such as Nature, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), and Physical Review Fluids. Qu teaches five courses covering all four undergraduate grades at JI. He teaches an average of 152 class hours per year, and almost all of his teaching evaluations are rated as A. He also won the first prize in the 9th SJTU Young Faculty Teaching Competition. The undergraduates under his guidance have participated in the Junzheng Scholars Program on multiple occasions. He guided students to participate in the International Undergraduate Physics Competition in 2023 and 2024, and they won a total of 6 gold medals and 26 silver medals.
