Budding scientist honored with prestigious award
MINHANG student Yu Zewei from Xincheng School was among about 60 students from around the world to win awards in the 2020 S.-T. Yau High School Science Awards.
The awards were started by Chinese mathematician Shing-Tung Yau in 2008 to encourage Chinese teenagers around the world to engage in science. Yau was born in Shantou of south China’s Guangdong Province and went on to study in Hong Kong and the US. Since 1987, he has been a professor of mathematics at Harvard University and was also appointed professor of physics there in 2013.
Yu, who was participating in the contest for the first time, entered a work entitled “Voice Interactive Monitoring
System for the Elderly, Based on Scratch PI and Cloud Computing.”
Explaining the choice of his entry, Yu said, “My greatgrandfather died after a fall, and it made me want to do something to reduce such accidents.”
The 2020 awards attracted about 1,500 teams and 1,700 students from 400 middle schools around the world. Only 90 teams reached the finals.
Yu, who is in junior high
school, said he was nervous in the competition, though well prepared. He said he believes teenagers have a lot to contribute to science and society.
He has also worked on a project providing “armchair world trips” for disabled elderly through virtual reality technology.
Science aside, Yu said he enjoys music and sports. He has played piano at the Shanghai Oriental Arts Center and won a citywide fencing competition.
A traffic policeman uses instinct to keep the traffic going.
Zhang has been a policeman since 2012. He is attached to comprehensive police station operations in Zhuanqiao, where he deals with traffic management.
He made a set of cards and files for his colleagues to learn about the traffic management procedures and installed e-cops to keep watch for violators.
“A traffic policeman uses instinct to keep the traffic going,” Zhang said.
When reviewing traffic accidents from May 2019 — including one death and six injuries — Zhang found that many of the mishaps took place at night and involved bicycles or electric bikes.
He then checked the most accidentprone site and found that a turn into a bus station was obstructed for those in non-motorized vehicle lane. In collaboration with the other traffic departments, the problem was corrected and no accidents have occurred there since.
In the past year, Zhang has answered more than 300 calls on the citizens’ hotline related to traffic issues.
Zhang was home for Spring Festival for only twice during the past seven years. He said he doesn’t mind.
It’s his duty. “During the holidays, I just want everyone to be safe on the roads,” he said.