With a Passion for Scientific Research, Actively Pursuing Dreams – Jiahao Ren from DPC
憑著對科研的熱忱, 積極追尋夢想 – 物理及化學系任佳豪

Jiahao Ren is the first batch of UG student to graduate from the Department of Physics and Chemistry (DPC) of the Faculty of Science and Technology (FST). He received the “Dean’s Final Year Project List Award” for his research on perovskite solar cells. His project explained the importance of perovskite bottom interface engineering in improving the performance of perovskite solar cells from various perspectives, such as defect passivation, film morphology, and energy level alignment. He also demonstrated the research value of studying the bottom performance. In addition to thanking the Faulty for recognizing his efforts, he was grateful for the careful guidance of his supervisor, Prof. Guichuan XING, and fortunate to have found a suitable and innovative research direction. Ren dreams of becoming a scientist and technology entrepreneur. After graduating from University, he will continue to advance his studies and pursue a new learning journey

 Choosing a Direction based on Interests

Ren is from Jiangxi and has had a strong interest in Physics and Science since childhood. He participated in various physics competitions, including the National High School Physics Olympiad in high school, and gained a certain understanding of related subjects. He believes that the study of Physics is of great significance for human technology and civilization progress. He chose UM is because of its excellent international environment, open research atmosphere, and using English as a medium of instruction that makes it easier for students to connect with overseas universities. Moreover, the DPC provides “project training” for undergraduate students. First-year students can choose their favorite professors according to their interests and strengths and conduct multi-faceted research exploration under the guidance of the professor’s research topic group. This novel interactive learning method impressed Ren and gave him a true understanding and appreciation of research.

Passionate with Science

Looking back on his four years of fulfilling university life, although he encountered many twists and turns in the process of exploring and experimenting in the laboratory, this experience not only became his learning and exploration experience but also strengthened his enthusiasm and will for research. Ren said, “During this period, the professors and senior brothers and sisters in the research group were very enthusiastic. I often sought their advice, and their care and support left unforgettable, warm, and beautiful memories of this exploration journey.” He has received six scholarships, six Dean’s Honor Lists, and one Rector’s Honor List. He also represented UM in China Undergraduate Physics Tournament to compete with top domestic universities such as Peking University and won the third prize. Ren constantly improves his research level. During his junior and senior years, he actively prepared for his Ph.D. studies and successfully published a first-author SCI Q1 article and a co-authored SCI Q2 article.

Received offers from top universities

He has received multiple offers for Ph.D. programmes from several universities, including the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. He is very grateful for the careful cultivation of the department’s teachers and the recognition of external professors. He said, “The professors in the DPC all graduated with Ph.D. degrees from world-renowned universities. They not only have strong research capabilities but also have great relationship with other universities. We are fortunate to be able to undergo research training in such favorable conditions in our undergraduate stage, which enables us to have research capabilities and qualities earlier, making it easier to be recognized and favored by other prestigious universities when applying for graduate studies.” As the first batch of UG graduates of DPC, he recommends younger students who aim to continue their studies to seize opportunities, make good use of the resources in UM, explore and contact their favorite professors early, and strive to achieve satisfactory research results or publish research articles if possible. In the future, he will go to Nanyang Technological University in Singapore to pursue his Ph.D. degree and continue his research journey, working hard to realize his dreams.