News

Thursday 29 March 2007

Chinese researcher rewarded

A prestigious award which recognises top Chinese students undertaking research overseas has been won by a Nottingham Trent University scholar. Yu Xiong, who is studying for a PhD in design engineering, has won a 2007 Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Self-Financed Students Abroad.

The $5,000 award aims to help self-financing Chinese students studying across the globe. Yu (25) who is based in the University’s School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment, will collect his prize during a ceremony in the Education Section of the Chinese Embassy in London next month.

His research involves seeking to develop a collaborative teaching and research environment based on advanced web and internet technologies. Yu came to Nottingham in August 2003 after studying for a degree at Chongqing University in China. He hopes to become a researcher after completing his PhD.

Yu said: “It is a real honour to win this award and to have my research recognised in this way. My support and supervision at Nottingham Trent University have been fantastic and this prize is a reflection of that.”

In a separate non-academic competition, Yu was also short-listed in the top 45 of more than 2,000 entries for the British Council’s International Student Awards. The competition, open to students across the UK, focuses on extra-curricular achievements and community involvement, celebrating the whole student ‘experience’.

Yu is Vice-President of the UK’s Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA) which has more than 100,000 members, and the Honorary President of CSSA Nottingham.

ENDS

Notes for editors: Each year the Chinese Scholarship Council selects winners from a range of research areas such as art, science, medicine, education, technology and business. Applicants for this award must be Chinese citizens who are studying abroad for a PhD, under 40-years-old, and not receiving financial support from the Chinese Government.

In the past three years, Yu has had four papers published in refereed journals and seven additional papers published at refereed international conferences.

Press enquiries please contact Dave Rogers, Press Officer, on telephone +44 (0)115 848 8782, or via email: dave.rogers@ntu.ac.uk or Therese Easom, Press and Media Relations Manager, on telephone +44 (0)115 848 8774, or via email: therese.easom@ntu.ac.uk.