First Impressions

Before applying for the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) President’s International Fellowship Initiative (PIFI), I read Professor Chen Lingxin’s papers in the field of Molecular Imprinting Technology as a pioneering researcher in this area. I have read, learned, and been inspired from his research and wished to cooperate with him in scientific research. After several email exchanges with Professor Chen’s research group, I decided to meet his team in early 2019. This event left a huge impression on me. I was very motivated and eager to join Professor Chen’s research team. According to Professor Chen’s suggestion, I applied for the prestigious CAS PIFI in 2020 and was successful.

Professor Chen’s research system is excellent and gave me new perspectives and ideas to reshape myself. Not only that but also I learned many things that have given me the confidence to do more.

Living in a new country brings a whole new set of experiences, such as the food, the people and their culture, the currency, and adapting to a new time zone, all of which were very exciting for me.

Working in a lab

Unique Experiences

Once I got acquainted with different parts of CAS’s Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research (YIC), including the dormitory, laboratories, restaurant, and administrative department, I felt the advantages of China, even more.

Professor Chen has been awarded “Distinguish Professor of CAS” and created an innovative research group consisting of researchers of different levels, ranging from M.Sc. students, Ph.D. candidates, assistant professors, and associate professors to full professors. I see how incredible his team members are. No matter the hardship they face in their research, they work hard together toward the ultimate goal. They have solid professional knowledge, active thinking, strong creativity, and an excellent team spirit, resulting in the production of high quality research. Professor Chen, as the principal investigator of the group, specifies the research plan, responsibility and duty of the researcher fellows, supervises the work process, and provides professional advice on possible problems. Interestingly, he has short term and long term research plans, which are professionally implemented within the intended direction and guarantee the realization of outstanding achievements.

Additionally, CAS’s YIC has complete and advanced scientific research equipment, which provides the necessary experimental conditions and technical support. The laboratory environment is safe, with regulations, basic conditions, and the hierarchy of research being well organized. Another noteworthy feature I observed at YIC is hard working nature of Chinese scientists and their sense of responsibility. Sometimes, they work through to midnight, demonstrating their passion for scientific work.

Supervising a student in a lab

Six Months Living in Yantai, Shandong Province

China keeps me surprised with its culture and development. It has over 5,000 years of rich culture, unlike anything we have ever seen. Chinese people respect their old ways and maintain them, despite so much modernization having taken place. Their strong and clear regulations and development plans help the country rise above the world. Within the six months that I have been in China, I have witnessed several festivals and have been invited to participate in them by colleagues and friends. I think Chinese people are fair, civilized and considerate and I am lucky to have such wonderful Chinese friends. Overall, living and working in China and becoming familiar with Professor Chen’s group has been the best thing that has ever happened to me. I hope I will have an opportunity to stay for a long time in China, to work, and develop my research activities.

Source: Abbas Ostovan,

Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research,

Chinese Academy of Sciences