Hi, my name is Santi. I am a biologist, and my research focuses on understanding the evolution of animals. I work as a postdoc at the Institute of Zoology (IOZ) in Beijing, which is part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). CAS is the world’s most productive scientific organization and has consistently been classified as the No. 1 research institute by the Nature Index since the creation of this ranking system.

How did I become a postdoc at CAS?

While doing my PhD, almost by chance I had the opportunity to study the evolution of honey bees from Yunnan Province in collaboration with researchers from CAS. This work not only awakened my curiosity about China and its extraordinary biodiversity but also allowed me to attend several prestigious international meetings in the field of evolutionary biology. At one of these conferences I met Professor Guo Baocheng, head of the Fish Evolution and Genomics Group (FEGG) at IOZ. After letting him know about my interest in his research and China, he quickly encouraged me to request a President’s International Fellowship Initiative (PIFI) grant to join his group as a postdoctoral researcher. Our proposal was approved in early 2021. By that time, I had also received offers from institutions in other countries. However, I ended up coming to China because of the great scientific progress achieved in recent times and its prospects regarding basic science. The trust that Professor Guo placed in me since the very beginning was also something that made my decision easier. Together, we are studying the evolution of fish across different habitats, alongside many other exciting projects.

Am I happy with my choice?

After two years, I am happy with my choice both scientifically and personally. Besides the PIFI postdoctoral fellowship from CAS, I was also awarded funds from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), which allowed me to further develop my research ideas. This is the perfect launch pad for any young researcher’s career, and I feel very fortunate to have been able to enjoy it. Professor Guo and I addressed the limitations of remote working by frequently keeping in touch and focusing on the computational part of the work. This continued support from Professor Guo (alongside FEGG’s research assistant, Wang Chongnv) was crucial for my long-awaited arrival in China. I also appreciate that the IOZ staff helped us efficiently with all the procedures during these difficult times.

What are my impressions of China?

I travelled to China for a couple of weeks in 2019, but living here during the last two months has proven much more interesting. Beijing feels very safe, and everyone here has been welcoming despite my inability to speak Chinese. The language barrier made basic tasks somehow challenging at first. However, the truth is that even this was not such a big problem. Not only because nowadays there are translation apps that make communication much easier, but in particular for the outstanding help I received (and kept receiving) from all the members of FEGG. Thanks to them, I could quickly find a nice apartment, open a bank account, and fix all the paperwork without any problems. My colleagues even taught me how to use Chinese apps for taking public transport and ordering online. So, I am extremely grateful to them.

In my experience, the friendliness of Chinese people is one of the best things about living here. However, there are many other good things. In particular, the advanced research infrastructure available at IOZ (e.g., powerful servers for my bioinformatics analysis), as well as the food (which is so delicious — “Kung pao chicken”, “Luosifen”, and “Hot pot” are my top three picks to date), and convenient lifestyle (such as online grocery shopping with door delivery in less than 30 minutes) are things that I also very much enjoy.

Would I recommend PIFI?

Everything I have experienced has been nothing but good and has made me feel at home in China. So I would definitely recommend other researchers to apply for this funding. In my case, I plan to continue my scientific research here for now, as Professor Guo has also invited me to join another of his projects, which is an exceptional opportunity to continue learning. Therefore, PIFI grant boosted my academic career and enabled me to start my own journey in China, where I had always dreamed of living.

Source: Santiago Montero-Mendieta,

Institute of Zoology,

Chinese Academy of Sciences