DVP Stories

Postdoc / PhD Collaborators Post-trip Experience Sharing

🌍Xinyue Deng

Academic Unit: School of Creative Media
Destination: University College London, UK
Collaborating DVP: Prof. Stella Bruzzi
Period: March–May 2025

☑ Trip Highlights

Collaborated with Prof. Stella Bruzzi on a paper, exploring representations of fatherhood and Confucian patriarchy in Chinese cinema.
Presented at UCL’s SELCS-RPG Conference on Polycrisis (June 2025) and attended workshops.
Initiated ongoing collaboration for a submission to the 2026 AAS Conference in Vancouver and plan for journal publication.

“This experience was truly transformative—it sharpened my critical thinking and opened doors to global academic dialogue. Collaborating at UCL exceeded every expectation I had."

🌍Yu Xiang

Academic Unit: School of Law
Destination: Harvard Law School, US
Collaborating DVP: Prof. Jesse M. Fried
Period: January – July 2025

☑ Trip Highlights

Collaborated with Prof. Jesse M. Fried on cutting-edge research in corporate governance and ESG regulation.
Presented a working paper at the Visiting Scholars & Researchers Colloquium (VSVR) at Harvard Law School.
Published an article and developed two working papers.
Audited two courses, attended workshops, seminars, and cross-department events.

“My time at Harvard Law School broadened my academic vision and strengthened my research skills. It was an inspiring journey that will shape my teaching and future scholarship.”

🌍Zhang Han

Academic Unit: Department of Mathematics
Destination: Princeton University, US
Collaborating DVP: Prof. Guillermo SAPIRO
Period: May–October 2025

☑ Trip Highlights

Collaborated with the DVP to develop a framework using diffusion models to accelerate the training of Physics Informed Neural Networks (PINNs), improving efficiency and generalization for PDE based learning.
Prepared a manuscript for submission to the Journal of Computational Physics and established an ongoing collaboration.
Attended seminars and workshops featuring researchers from Princeton, Duke University, and the Technion, gaining exposure to diverse academic perspectives and strengthening confidence in presenting work.
Enhanced cross cultural communication skills and gained experience mentoring junior researchers, improving leadership and collaboration abilities.

“This trip significantly accelerated my academic development. Engaging in high level discussions with researchers from diverse backgrounds boosted my confidence and deepened my enthusiasm for scientific inquiry. The skills and connections I gained will continue to shape my research journey for years to come.”

🌍He Bowei

Academic Unit: Department of Computer Science
Destination: Tsinghua University, China
Collaborating Party: Institute for AI Industry Research
Period: January – September 2025

☑ Trip Highlights

Collaborated with Prof. Wei‑Ying Ma and Prof. Yanyan Lan on protein sequence modeling for virtual drug screening, gaining hands‑on experience in generative AI for scientific applications.
Published a first-author paper at AAAI 2026, following a deep investigation, method refinement, experiments, and iterative manuscript development.
Established ongoing collaboration on drug‑discovery science agents.
Attended various workshops at Tsinghua University, learning about advanced knowledge in AI for drug discovery, the latest research developments, and newly released tools in the field.

“This opportunity strengthened my independent research abilities, expanded my global academic perspective, and boosted my confidence in leading interdisciplinary collaborations.”

🌍Ye Wu

Academic Unit: Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Destination: ETH Zurich, Switzerland
Collaborating DVP: Prof. Maksym V. KOVALENKO
Period: January – February 2025

☑ Trip Highlights

Worked closely with the DVP and his group members to complete a study on metal halide scintillators during the visit, which led to a publication in Advanced Functional Materials.
Gained exposure to world‑class inorganic chemistry research and accessing advanced functional ligands and materials.
Began designing and synthesizing new organic ligands for perovskite nanocrystals, which is an ongoing project that will continue under Prof. Kovalenko’s supervision.

“This visiting experience expanded my research boundaries. Working in top laboratories showed me how talented researchers operate, and the skills I gained will continue to guide my future career.”

🌍Thamali Manathunga

Academic Unit: Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences
Destination: University of Bari, Italy
Collaborating DVP: Prof. Domenico Otranto
Period: December 2025 – February 2026

☑ Trip Highlights

Completed a comprehensive review on zoonotic leishmaniasis in China, submitted to PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases.
Prepared and submitted a conference abstract for presentation at ICOPA 2026, reporting the first detection of Leishmania infantum in dogs and insect vectors in southern China.
Advanced international collaboration on Leishmania surveillance in dogs and vectors, contributing to multiple ongoing and planned journal submissions.

"This experience has given me broader knowledge and experience in my study area (parasitology) as well as personal growth as a researcher."

🌍Guanru Zhang

Academic Unit: Department of Public and International Affairs
Destination: University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
Collaborating DVP: Prof. Helen Bao
Period: October 2025 – March 2026

☑ Trip Highlights

Worked closely with Prof. Helen Bao at the Lab for Interdisciplinary Spatial Analysis to advance doctoral research on AI adoption and fairness perception in housing-related public services.
Presented research findings at PUBSIC 2026 and received constructive international feedback, while building foundations for ongoing cross-national collaboration.
Completed a pilot survey experiment and began drafting a high-impact journal manuscript, alongside a systematic review on AI governance and citizen behavior.

"This visit was highly productive and intellectually enriching. It strengthened my experimental research skills and deepened my knowledge of international scholarship in digital governance and public administration."

🌍Haowei Fan

Academic Unit: Department of Physics
Destination: University of Manchester, UK
Collaborating DVP: Prof. Vladimir Falko
Period: June – November 2025

☑ Trip Highlights

Completed a theoretical project on macrospin chaos, later posted on arXiv (2601.00062) and prepared for submission to Physical Review X.
Began a second collaborative project with an experimental group from the National University of Singapore.
Participated in UoM’s Physics & Astronomy Postgraduate Research Conference, made connections with PhD students, and regularly joined weekly Journal Club discussions.
Learned key techniques and gained foundational skills in a new research area.

“The trip broadened my worldview and showed me how big—and how small—the world can be. Studying at the University of Manchester enriched my academic journey and strengthened my confidence for future pursuits. I now feel ready to explore the world even further.”