A young French-Chinese man pursues dream in Shanghai

Thomas Yuanke Phillipe Xiong, a postgraduate student from Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Editor's note: Thomas Yuanke Phillipe Xiong, the great-great-grandson of famous Chinese mathematician Xiong Qinglai (1893-1969), started his undergraduate studies at the SJTU Paris Elite Institute of Technology (SPEIT) at Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) in 2017, and went to pursue a master's degree in energy and power engineering from SPEIT in 2021. He is dedicated to promoting the popularity of energy-saving technology and low-carbon concepts and to pushing for green development in the building of a beautiful China.

Inspired from childhood to pursue science

Xiong was born into a family of Chinese descent in Paris, France, in 1999. His great-great-grandfather Xiong Qinglai was a forerunner of modern Chinese mathematics and an educator, while his grandmother, French-Chinese physicist Xiong Youde, was awarded the Knight Badge, a national medal of honor presented by the French government to citizens that have made great contributions to the nation, twice. His father, Xiong Wuzhen, has worked for leading Chinese and foreign firms, such as Alibaba Cloud and Siemens, and has closely witnessed the robust development of China since the launch of reform and opening up in 1978.

Under the influence of his family, Xiong became deeply interested in sciences and traditional Chinese culture in his childhood. His parents taught him Mandarin Chinese and Chinese characters and often spoke with him about the Yangtze River, the Yellow River, the Great Wall, the Forbidden City and giant pandas.

Xiong's parents moved their family to Shanghai in 2008 when he was nine years old. He naturally fell in love with everything in China and realized that there was a close bond between him and the country from the moment of his arrival.

The fabulous opening ceremony of the Beijing Summer Olympics in August 2008 and the successful launch of China's Shenzhou-7 manned space mission a month later left a deep impression on Xiong, helping him realize the greatness of the country.

As a French-Chinese teenager, Xiong felt great pride in the historic achievements China attained and made up his mind that year to chase his dream of scientific research.

Thomas Yuanke Phillipe Xiong (R 1) takes a group photo with his farther, mother, and brother.

Fostering a keen interest in academic research

Xiong passed the French national college entrance examinations with high scores when he graduated from a Shanghai-based French middle school. Later, he was admitted into the SJTU Paris Elite Institute of Technology.

Early in his middle school life, Xiong dreamed of going to the institute, which boasts authentic French educational systems in the cultivation of prospective engineers and shares the natural advantages of SJTU in science and technology.

Xiong recalled that he quickly adapted to his new life at the institute, adding that it was lucky for him to study with leading professors, who used to work in top French universities before relocating to China.

Teachers instructed Xiong and his classmates to make full use of Python and Matlab in solving advanced mathematical questions, and guided them to strengthen their capacity building in scientific modeling and the utilization of computers. In addition, the institute has attached great importance to the cultivation of students' practical and creative abilities, the exploration of their internal potential and interests, and the promotion of their participation in cross-discipline innovative practices in its curricular design.

In college, Xiong often organized for his classmates to take part in high-level competitions. They worked together to earn an A-level rating and three patents in a research project, in which they put forward an ultrasonic-driven pre-hydrolysis method in the speedy transformation of urban biomass into energy.

In his participation in the annual Hult Prize, which is sponsored by the Hult Business School in the United States in conjunction with the United Nations to push entrepreneurship, Xiong came up with a proposal to enhance the efficiency of the recycling of agricultural residue in rural areas.

In the third year in college, Xiong earned an internship at the Shanghai Research Center of Air Liquide Group, a French industrial and medical gas supplier, which further stimulated his interest in the optimal utilization of energy.

In the fourth year of his undergraduate studies, he finished his thesis on energy demands of different seasons.

Later, Xiong played a leading role in the building of a calculation framework, the exploration of solutions for the location and recognition of inside machines in multi-connected units, and the application of two invention patents for the department of high-rise buildings' scientific and technological affairs of the Midea Group during a research project.

Xiong noted that he was very lucky to meet with many prominent teachers and have wide access to world-class laboratories and sound scientific and technological resources at SJTU, which further heightened his confidence in scientific and technological research and the pursuit of a doctoral degree at SJTU.

Enthusiastic about sports and willing to speak for China

During his extracurricular life, Xiong has been keen to make friends and take part in all types of sports.

For instance, Xiong and his teammates won third prize in a university-level volleyball competition in 2021. He also proactively helped international students assimilate into their new life at SJTU and promoted traditional Chinese culture and social traditions among them.

During an interview, Xiong called on international students to study at SJTU because it has fostered an inclusive and multi-cultural environment and adhered to the spirit of science.

Promoting global environmental protection

Xiong said that as a postgraduate student in energy and power engineering, he will endeavor to become an engineer and independent system developer in big data-supported energy utilization and will channel his knowledge into the realization of China's carbon peak and neutrality targets.

Noting that the magnitude of the global climate has become more and more severe, Xiong said that the reduction of architecture-related energy consumption and the building of environmental monitoring systems are vital to the sustainable development of mankind, and that the industrial software of the energy sector is undergoing a comprehensive transformation.

When talking about his ongoing research project, Xiong said that he is planning to build an energy reduction demonstration project for Shanghai Metro and independently develop a set of industrial software with huge market prospects.

In the years to come, Xiong said he is committed to promoting the popularity of energy-saving technology and low-carbon concepts and pushing for green development in the building of a beautiful China.

When talking about his ongoing research project, Xiong said that he is planning to build an energy reduction demonstration project for Shanghai Metro and independently develop a set of industrial software with huge market prospects.

In the years to come, Xiong said he is committed to promoting the popularity of energy-saving technology and low-carbon concepts and pushing for green development in the building of a beautiful China.