Grad Student Profile

Sheng-Fei Zhang

PhD Student

Sheng-Fei arrived in “chilly” September 2010 in Edmonton as an exchange student from the Chinese Academy of Science in Beijing.  Unlike many programs in North America where PhD students complete course work, studying at the Chinese Academy is exclusively research based and takes approximately five years.  The time spent in Canada with Dr. Bhattacharjee has been a rewarding experience.  When asked what happened over the past year that may not have happened back in China, Sheng-Fei focused on his contact with industry partners.  The novelty of Dr. Bhattacharjee’s program is that students get to interact directly with leaders of private companies.  As Sheng-Fei points out, this type of immediate feedback is invaluable highlighting both the utility and challenges of his research.  In his direct discussions with companies, Sheng-Fei can see where his research efforts are best invested for the highest impact on present best practices in industry.   

Speaking of new experiences…  Sheng-Fei visited Heritage Days in Edmonton this August (2011).  Besides taking lots of pictures to share with family and friends on “RenRen.com,” the Chinese equivalent of Facebook, he was surprised by the shear number of different cultures represented at the event.  This multicultural event was something new and unexpected for a person from Chinese culture that tends to be more homogenous.  Specifically, Sheng-Fei took particular interest in the pavilion from Croatia where he was impressed by their food, clothing, and dance.