2023 In Review | JI students illuminate the year with unwavering brilliance

The year 2023 has seen the University of Michigan – Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute (UM-SJTU JI, JI hereafter) students standing out in various fields. They soared in the academic halls, fought bravely in the competition arenas, rooted themselves in social practices, and made remarkable achievements. The following are examples of such students who helped in building the reputation of JI as one of the best international engineering institutes in China and the world.

Students selected for SJTU GIFT Future Scholars Program

In February, JI undergraduate students including Chengrun Li, Yiwei Xia, Xinyu Wu, Zhaochen Yu, Yiyang Song, Xu He and Nuocheng Ji were selected for the SJTU GIFT Future Scholars Program. This program aims to provide students with a solid platform for scientific research practice, fostering a systematic approach to developing global competency, cutting-edge innovation, interdisciplinary backgrounds, and outstanding leadership skills that guide social development and industrial transformation.

Yaowei Wang becomes first winner of SJTU Huang Xuhua Scholarship

In March, JI doctoral student Yaowei Wang was awarded the 2023 SJTU Huang Xuhua Scholarship. Having published six SCI papers, he has received honors such as the Bosch Scholarship, Yu Liming Scholarship, SJTU Excellent Student.

Assel Surshanova wins 2023 SJTU Excellent International Graduate award

In April, JI undergraduate student Assel Surshanova won the 2023 SJTU Excellent International Graduate award. The senior student from Kazakhstan is one of the 18 winners selected from all international undergraduate students on SJTU campuses who are expected to graduate in 2023. Over the past four years, while pursuing the JI Dual Bachelor’s Degree Program in collaboration with UM, she has received numerous awards including the First Prize of the Shanghai Municipal Government Scholarship, the Cheng Family Scholarship, the Roger King Scholarship, and the James B. Angell Scholar Award.

JI students excel as key players for championship-winning basketball teams

In April and May, JI students played a crucial role in victories of the SJTU basketball teams at the 17th Shanghai Sports Games. SJTU Sunshine Men’s Basketball Team and SJTU Sunshine Women’s Basketball Team, each with two key players from JI, won the championships of the College Class A category by defeating opponents from other universities or colleges in the city of Shanghai. Two third-year undergraduate students, Wenjun Su and Lingyu Qi, played for the SJTU men’s team while undergraduate freshman Yerui Huang and third-year graduate student Yixing Fan played for the SJTU women’s team.

JI debate team wins first SJTU Lianhe Cup

In May, JI students set a historical record at the 28th SJTU Lianhe Cup Debate Competition, winning the championship for the first time in the annual event attended by student teams from 21 institutes of the SJTU this year. The championship trophy was clinched by the JI No.1 Team composed of junior student Xinyu Deng and three senior students including Yuxuan Tang, Yuan Xu and Jiaying Peng, after they defeated the Joint Team of SJTU School of Media and Communication and School of Design in the final of the competition.

Enrui Zhu claims championship of international social innovation competition

In June, JI undergraduate student Enrui Zhu was crowned the champion of the international competition known as the Association of Pacific Rim Universities Sustainable Development Goals Education for Global Citizenship. The competition was held from November 2022 to March 2023. A total of 8 teams entered the final round of project defense. After fierce competition, Enrui Zhu’s team supervised by Professor Qian Wang from the SJTU School of Public Health stood out. With the championship title, the team also won the opportunity to participate in the exchange event organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) in Thailand.

Hao Zhang wins first prize at international OpenFOAM Combustion workshop

In June, JI undergraduate student Hao Zhang won the first prize for oral presentation at the First International OpenFOAM Combustion Workshop. The workshop hosted by the National University of Singapore (NUS) Chongqing Research Institute was held during June 19-20 in Southwest China’s metropolitan city Chongqing. Mechanical Engineering major Hao Zhang, who enrolled at JI in 2020, presented the research project titled “Fourier Neural Operator Method for Accelerating Reacting Flow Simulations” at the workshop. He was awarded the only first prize in the category.

Haobo Xu publishes paper in Nature Communications

In July, JI senior undergraduate student Haobo Xu majoring in Mechanical Engineering published a research paper titled “Droplets attraction and coalescence mechanism on textured oil-impregnated surfaces” in Nature Communications, a high-quality multidisciplinary journal covering many areas of natural sciences including physics, chemistry, earth sciences, medicine, and biology.

JI graduates unveils self-made graduation music video

In August, the Class of 2023 graduates of JI unveiled a heartfelt tribute to their college journey with the release of “Dear Freshman Me,” an original graduation-themed music video. Created, sung, directed, and acted by the graduates themselves, the video takes viewers on a nostalgic and introspective ride, reflecting on the uncertainties of mid-college life. Jiajun Sun composed the lyrics and music. Pingchuan Ma and Yichen Cai orchestrated the planning and production.

Two graduate students claim Best Oral Presentation awards

In October, two JI graduate students displayed their exceptional talents at the 2nd International Symposium on Structures and Materials Inspired by Origami (SAMIO 2023), claiming two Best Oral Presentation awards for their papers. Doctoral student Kai Xiao and master student Zihe Liang, both from the research group (S-Lab) of JI Associate Professor Jaehyung Ju, won the awards with their presentations titled “Flat-foldable and shape-lockable 3D curvilinear modular origami structures” and “3D Curvilinear Panel-Deformation-Inspired Morphing of Origami by 4D Printing” respectively.

Xitong Shen secures first SJTU billiards championship

In October, JI undergraduate freshman Xitong Shen triumphed over strong opponents, securing the championship in the 2023 SJTU Freshman Cup Billiards Tournament. This achievement marks the first time since 2020, when both undergraduate and graduate students competed together, that an undergraduate student has clinched the title in the tournament.

JI students clinch first prize at Shanghai social practice contest

In November, JI students secured the first prize at the 2023 Zhixing Cup Shanghai University Student Social Practice Project Contest for a group project titled “Hydrogen-Electric Synergy: Navigating the Future — Research and Practice in the Integrated Development of Shanghai’s New Energy Vehicle Industry.” The project aligns with the importance of new energy vehicles in Shanghai as the city is establishing its reputation as a science and technology innovation center. The JI social practice group, consisting of 57 students and seven advisors, has spent efforts over the past year exploring industry foundations, core technologies, and the overall industrial ecosystem of the new energy vehicle sector.

Kantaphat Leelakunwet ranks among five SJTU elite international students

In December, JI undergraduate student Kantaphat Leelakunwet was selected as one of the 2023 SJTU Elites for International Students in a grand final appraisal and awarding ceremony held at the SJTU Center for Academic Activities. Out of 12 candidates, five were announced as winners. As a junior student majoring in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Kantaphat Leelakunwet’s exceptional academic achievements led to him being awarded the First Prize of the Shanghai Municipal Government Scholarship and the 2023 JI John Wu and Jane Sun Excellence Scholarship.

Nuri Erdem Ersoy picked as SJTU Outstanding Postgraduate

In December, JI doctoral student Nuri Erdem Ersoy from Turkey was selected as one of the 36 Outstanding Postgraduates (International Students) of Shanghai Jiao Tong University for the Class of 2024. Nuri Erdem Ersoy began his academic journey at JI in 2016 as a graduate student. After completing his master’s degree, he continued to pursue doctoral studies in 2019. During the course of his doctoral program supported by the Chinese government scholarship, Ersoy authored three papers in top-tier journals and presented two at international conferences.

JI student volunteer team honored as SJTU Person of the Year

In December, JI Yunnan Volunteer Teaching Team, comprised of students who are dedicated to community service in underdeveloped regions of Southwest China’s Yunnan Province, has received the prestigious honor of SJTU’s 2023 Person of the Year. Established in 2006, the JI student team initiated their voluntary teaching mission in E’shan County, Yuxi City of Yunnan. Over the course of 17 years, the team has grown to include more than 700 students, extending their volunteer efforts to impact 32 schools in various locations across Yunnan, Hunan, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, and Anhui provinces.