In the 2024–2025 academic year, the Ministry of Education selected National Scholarship recipients from students across universities and colleges nationwide, guided by the principles of objectivity, fairness, and impartiality. DENG Zifeng, a student at our university, stood out among the candidates and was honored with this prestigious award. Let us hear his story.
Personal Profile
• DENG Zifeng
• Student Union President, BiUH
• Class President, DT3 (Class of 2024)
• Youth League Working Committee, Hainan Lingshui Li’an International Education Innovation Pilot Zone (2024–2025)
Academic Performance
• 2024-2025 GPA: 3.83/4.0 — Ranked #1
Internship Experience
• Bioinformatics Intern, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University — investigating the relationship between DNA replication and cell fate using repli-seq technology
Competition Awards
• MCM (Mathematical Contest in Modeling) — Honorable Mention
• CUMCM (China Undergraduate Mathematical Contest in Modeling) — Provincial 3rd Prize
• National Artificial Intelligence Technology Competition — National 3rd Prize
Projects & Volunteer Experience
• Summer School, Technical University of Berlin
• Summer School, University of Cambridge
• International Volunteer NGO — AIESEC Member
• Asia-Europe Youth Exchange (ASEF × Movers) — Participant
• International Volunteer, Morocco — Children’s Education Support, Rabat-Medina
• International Volunteer, Australia — Wildlife Conservation, Three Sisters Reserve
• Volunteer, Boao Forum for Asia
Over the past year, I have constantly pushed myself out of my comfort zone, actively exploring fields I had never ventured into before. Through repeated attempts and setbacks, I came to know myself in new ways. I have always believed that every experience carries its own meaning — once you have chosen a direction, you should walk it with conviction.
I am deeply grateful to BiUH for providing such a broad platform, giving me the opportunity to keep exploring and challenging myself, and to discover more possibilities through learning, practice, and exchange. The word “Passion” has always reminded me: stay passionate, and keep taking action. Throughout my freshman year, I often encouraged myself to try more things, because the early years of university are a critical time to explore directions and build experience. That mindset brought me many precious and unforgettable moments — from getting involved in campus and off-campus activities, to being invited to a celebration at the Lebanese Ambassador’s residence in Morocco during an international exchange. These experiences broadened my horizons and strengthened my resolve to keep moving forward and stepping into a bigger world.
University is a wide-open platform. With more choices comes greater responsibility. We should not only focus on our studies, but also try as many things as possible — competitions, projects, internships, and even traveling and connecting with people across the world. I believe these experiences are themselves a form of learning: they help us see a bigger world and understand ourselves better. How to find balance among academics, responsibilities, competitions, projects, and life is a lesson I am still learning.
I remember many days that ran from morning to night without pause — a full day of classes, evening meetings, and sometimes new tasks added at lunchtime. Yet despite the busyness, I never felt exhausted; instead, I felt fulfilled and happy. In the process, I not only gained knowledge from the classroom, but also gradually learned how to allocate my time, manage my energy, and find my own rhythm across different roles.
Here are two reflections on balancing study and life:
First, learn to manage your emotions. University is very much like a “mini society” — not everything goes smoothly, and not every effort yields immediate results. I used to feel discouraged by setbacks, but I gradually realized that setbacks themselves are an important part of learning. Life will bring a few of these moments, and each one leaves us with more judgment, more preparation, and more composure for the next challenge. Learning to adjust and recalibrate is, in my view, one of the most essential skills of personal growth.
Second, have a clear plan. From sophomore year onward, the academic pace accelerates noticeably — only three months to cover what is normally four months of coursework, all while juggling internship searches, interviews, activities, and ongoing projects. I gradually realized that only by forming a closed loop of “plan → execute → reflect and consolidate” can you truly reduce anxiety, improve efficiency, and stay on course even when things get hectic.
At university, I have been fortunate to meet many talented and warm-hearted people who offered me support, encouragement, and inspiration. It is the power of community that taught me: growth is never a solo journey. Moving forward alongside a group of driven, positive people is often more powerful — and more meaningful — than going it alone.
This semester, I also faced many scheduling conflicts. At first, every decision felt overwhelming — afraid of missing out, afraid of choosing wrong, I would end up overthinking and draining my own energy. Eventually, I came up with a small mental framework: anticipate situations in advance, treating myself like a large language model — the more “parameters” I accumulate (experience, information, judgment), the better my “predictions” become when facing choices. This process gradually made me more decisive, because I realized that in most situations, there is no absolutely right or wrong choice — only the path that fits best in the moment.
Receiving the National Scholarship is, for me, both an honor and a reminder — a reminder that my past efforts have been recognized, and that I must remain humble and keep taking action going forward. I will continue with a solid work ethic, steady execution, and an open mind: deepening myself through learning, expanding myself through practice, and strengthening my convictions through every choice I make. My goal is to become someone with both capability and warmth.
The journey continues.
