Interviews with Two Graduating Student
Interviews with Two Graduating Student
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  • 승인 2010.02.17 14:30
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The 2009 graduation approaches and many people are awaiting the moment of their graduation. The Postech Times had an interview with Gong Yong Feng, a doctoral graduate student of GIFT, and with Choi Mi-ri, an undergraduate student from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, to find out how they felt during their time in POSTECH and what they will do after graduation.


A Dream of Research Fulfilled

Gong Yong Feng (GIFT doctoral graduate student)

▲ Gong Yong Feng, a doctoral graduate student of GIFT
Gong Yong Feng, who is a doctoral graduate student of GIFT, is to graduate on February 17. He did his undergraduate studies in Jiao Tong University in Xi’an and Master’s Degree in Tsinghua University in Beijing. He talked about his life in Korea and his plans in future.

What inspired you to come to Korea in the first place?

The president of POSTECH visited my former university, Tsinghua, and gave me inspiration about studying in Korea, at POSTECH. As the university is focused mainly on research, I thought that there would be a lot of projects that I would be able to participate in and learn from.

The advantages of POSTECH during your stay.

With POSTECH, the high tech equipment is easily usable without reservation or a technician’s help. However, in China, as from my experience through undergraduate and Master’s Degree, it was hard to conduct experiments because you have to make reservations for every piece of equipment you use. Also you cannot use the equipment first hand. You always have to let the technician to do the experiment for you. Another advantage of POSTECH is that most of the professors speak near perfect English as there are many professors who have studied abroad. So language hasn’t been much of a problem during my stay in POSTECH.

The disadvantages of POSTECH during your stay.

As for disadvantages, as a foreign student, the food was a problem to me. Even though the student restaurant had food for foreigners, the menu was  arranged from a Korean point of view. It should have more menus to suit the foreigners’ taste.

When you graduate what will you do?

I will do a post doctorate here in POSTECH. And after that I am eventually planning to go back to China to work in the Chinese steel industry. In Korea there are big steel companies like POSCO. But POSCO is very protective of their high tech technology and it is hard for foreign students to work in highly important projects in POSCO. I feel a little bit of pity towards that. So I plan to go back to China where I hope that I will be able to use my skills freely.

A word to POSTECH as you graduate.

The professors of POSTECH are  highly renowned for the level of their research and papers. But the university itself is less known to foreigners. I wish that POSTECH would use more energy to promote itself to others so that when a professor of POSTECH is discussed everyone would know that he or she is a professor of POSTECH. Also I think POSTECH should try to increase the number of foreign professors and students. The ratio of foreigners is too small. POSTECH has an excellent opportunity to upgrade global experience and knowledge and the university should put more effort into letting foreigners know of these advantages.

Reporter Shin Jae-kwang

 


A Life Full of Experience and Passion

Choi Mi-ri (The Mueunjae Award Winner)

▲ Choi Mi-ri, the winner of the Mueunjae Award
Choi Mi-ri, majoring in Materials Science Engineering and a ready-to-be graduate student from the year 2010 at POSTECH, receives the Mueunjae Award in the 2009 POSTECH Commencement Ceremony. The Mueunjae Award is given out to a student who contributed to the development of the university and raising its reputation.

Choi served as the president of POSTECH undergraduate association in 2008, the chief of 2007 POSTECH-KAIST Science War Planning Committee, and the chief of strategy and planning of undergraduate association in 2007, during which she arranged welfare work in Taean. She also officially established the ‘honor code system’ during her incumbency as president.

What is your impression upon your graduation?

Unlike high school graduation, I feel like I have won something and I am proud of myself. I worked hard in terms of academics and I’ve done many activities representing undergraduate students. I am glad that I didn’t spend time idly. So when I first heard that I was going to be awarded I was really honored.

What is your plan after the graduation?

I will stay at POSTECH to get a Master’s Degree in Professor Tae-Woo Lee’s lab in the Department of Materials Science Engineering. Now that I’m graduating I want to seriously think about my future. Whereas I could poke around at different fields in the past, being a graduate student is a different stage of your life where you have to reach for your dream. After building some foundation, I want to study management.

As a minority female student at POSTECH, were there any difficulties?

There may be concerns about a female student working in the crowd of many male students and university officials. Some may think that I am peculiar. But I always thought of myself just as a student, so I didn’t face much difficulty. I think I rather used the advantage of being a female student. The preceding presidents of the undergraduate association were all male. I approached differently and used the soft leadership of a woman in my team. And the teammates came along quite well. But I stress that there weren’t any privileges for being a female.

What is the most memorable experience during your campus life?

Being the president of the undergraduate association is obviously the one thing that I can never forget. I didn’t live long enough but it was the year that I devoted everything I could without regret. It was tough, but I learned myriads of things that I never would have if I did not take the position. Another moment that I cannot forget is being a TA for the course “Campus Life Planning” which all freshmen take. I had to reflect myself and be confident as a senior to guide the freshmen in the right direction.

Do you have a motto?

The one that I had for a long time is very simple: ‘If you try, it will be done.’ I think once you’ve tried very hard for a goal, even if you do not precisely reach there at first and you may detour, but in some ways you eventually can get there.

Any last words?

Four years of university life is the only time when you can be genuinely free. I strongly urge all undergraduates to do whatever they want to do without regret in these precious years. If what you want to do is study, then study as hard as you can. If they want to work in a student-run organization and associate with various people like me, they should do just that. Whatever it may be, I want them to do it as passionately as they can.

Reporter Kim Eun-ji