Zhao Hongshuo, from the class of 2028 in Electrical Engineering at ZJUI, has established himself as both an innovator and a leader. In his freshman year, he and his peers secured a National Innovation Project at Zhejiang University’s "Qizhen Inquiry-Based Learning" Innovation Platform. Beyond the classroom, he volunteered at the "ZJUI Learning Station," where he assisted junior students with academic challenges and cultivated a culture of peer mentorship.
Parallel to his academic pursuits, Zhao Hongshuo’s passion for volleyball embodied his commitment to teamwork. As leader of the Yangfeng Volleyball Club and Captain of the Men’s Volleyball Team at the International Campus, Zhejiang University, he has led his teammates to numerous championships through unwavering dedication and collective unity.
When Zhao Hongshuo enrolled at ZJUI, he was eager to explore where engineering intersects with innovation. Amid his core coursework, he took elective courses like CS101 (Intro to Computing: Engineering & Science) and Math213 (Basic Discrete Mathematics), seeking to bridge his curiosity with practical creation. “CS101 was my first genuine foray into programming,” he recalled. “I was captivated by how logic could bring meaningful things to life, and I constantly wondered how these concepts could be applied to real-world projects.”
Soon, this reflection found direction through Zhejiang University’s "Qizhen Inquiry-Based Learning" Innovation Platform. "I have long hoped to join a research project at the earliest opportunity, putting the theoretical knowledge gained in class into practice and refining my professional knowledge system." Driven by this eagerness for research practice, Zhao Hongshuo took the initiative to form an interdisciplinary team with classmates from diverse programs. In his view, knowledge exchange across fields can break the limitations of a single discipline and inject more innovative possibilities into the research. The team focused on the cutting-edge direction of "Phonon Band Structure Prediction for High-Throughput Screening of Thermal Materials," repeatedly refining the details of the project proposal and optimizing every aspect from technical feasibility analysis to research planning. After going through a rigorous selection process including multiple rounds of written reviews and on-site defenses, the project was successfully selected into Zhejiang University’s "Qizhen Inquiry-Based Learning" Innovation Platform under the guidance of ZJUI Associate Professor Wee-Liat Ong.
During the research process, challenges from brand-new fields such as materials physics and solid state physics emerged one after another. Faced with the barriers of interdisciplinary knowledge, Zhao Hongshuo did not shrink back; instead, he took the initiative to lead the team in rising to the challenge. The team divided tasks to study professional textbooks and cutting-edge papers, and repeatedly refined their experimental plans. Step by step, they broke through knowledge barriers, while honing interdisciplinary thinking and the research method of "integrating theory with practice." Drawing on a solid theoretical foundation and innovative research ideas, the team finally achieved a key breakthrough: they successfully reduced the computational cost of phonon band structure prediction and significantly decreased reliance on supercomputing resources. This achievement not only provided a more efficient technical path for related research, but also held important practical significance for shortening the R&D cycle of thermal functional materials and promoting the industrialization of technologies in this field. Based on their remarkable research progress, the team successfully secured approval for a National Innovation Project through Zhejiang University’s "Qizhen Inquiry-Based Learning" Innovation Platform.
Today, Zhao Hongshuo’s team has successfully reproduced a state-of-the-art (SOTA) model in phonon band prediction and continues to refine it by enhancing training strategies and optimizing parameters. “This project opened my eyes to the power of computation in advancing scientific discovery,” Zhao Hongshuo noted. During his spare time, he taught himself PyTorch and delved into generative models like Variational Autoencoders (VAEs) and Diffusion Models. “I aim to keep pushing the boundaries of AI for Science, transforming algorithms into practical tools for cutting-edge research.”
Beyond academics, volleyball is Zhao Hongshuo’s most steadfast passion. His connection with the sport began during junior high school, when he attended a municipal volleyball match—his first up-close encounter with the prowess of professional athletes. The power of spikes, the tacit coordination in blocks, and the unspoken trust between teammates deeply resonated with him, planting a seed in his heart to take up volleyball himself.
This original aspiration continued to flourish after he enrolled at ZJUI. He wasted no time in joining the men’s volleyball team and Yangfeng Volleyball Club at the International Campus, Zhejiang University. Over the past two years, from Zhejiang University’s "Sanhao Cups" to the "Pioneer Cup," he has consistently competed fiercely and pushed his limits, relying on solid technical skills, seamless teamwork with his peers, and an unyielding fighting spirit. This year, he led the team once again in the "Pioneer Cup" Volleyball Tournament at the International Campus, Zhejiang University. After multiple rounds of intense competition, they finally claimed the championship, interpreting his passion and perseverance for volleyball through relentless effort and sweat.
For Zhao Hongshuo, volleyball is far more than a casual pastime outside academics, it’s a vital for him to foster teamwork and personal growth. As he accumulated on-court experience, he rose from a regular team member to the captain of the men’s volleyball team and leader of the Yangfeng Volleyball Club, shouldering greater responsibilities along the way.
As the team’s captain, he not only takes the lead in formulating game strategies and tailors training plans but also keeps a close watch on each teammate’s state, calming nerves during intense matches and stepping up boldly when the team faces difficulties. “I want to be the team’s anchor,” he explained his role. “No matter how the score fluctuates, we can fully trust each other and tackle challenges together.”
Beyond the competition court, he’s committed to passing on the spirit of volleyball to more students. Since becoming club leader, he’s turned his passion for the sport into action, organizing a variety of activities including basic skill workshops, team-building salons, and friendly matches, allowing students from diverse programs and nationalities to connect, collaborate, and grow while sweating it out on the court, all while embracing the joy of sports and the power of personal development.
“The core lesson volleyball has taught me is how to fight alongside others toward a shared goal,” Zhao Hongshuo said. “I hope to pass on this power of ‘growing through collaboration’ and let more people discover the unique charm of volleyball.”
Whether on the path of research or the volleyball court, Zhao Hongshuo has benefited greatly from the invaluable guidance of ZJUI professors and the sincere support of senior students. This warmth and encouragement eased his confusion as he explored the unknown, filling him with greater certainty and reinforcing a firm belief: “I want to pass on ZJUI’s peer spirit of mutual assistance, using my own efforts to ignite a faint light for others on their growth journey.”
This spirit of sharing first took root in his academic pursuits. He systematically organized and refined his coursework, programming code, and study notes each semester into clear, structured Markdown files, uploading them to GitHub for classmates to access freely. “A classmate told me my notes helped them avoid many detours,” he shared with a smile. “In that moment, I truly felt that sharing what I’ve learned can really help others—and this persistence is incredibly worthwhile.” Beyond this, he regularly joined ZJUI’s “Learning Station,” patiently answering questions and resolving doubts for junior students, passing on knowledge through detailed explanations.
His commitment to mutual aid has extended even further into social practice. This past summer, he volunteered for a teaching initiative, traveling to Juxi Primary School in Cangnan County, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, to embody the responsibility of selfless dedication through public welfare teaching. As the lead coordinator for the “Engineering and Energy” themed course, he took charge of lesson planning, courseware development, and in-class teaching, helping children to explore scientific mysteries through hands-on practice. Guiding the children through building rubber-band-powered airplanes and solar-powered cars, he watched their faces light up with joy as their creations succeeded. “Moments like that remind me of the profound impact of sharing knowledge,” he reflected. “Whether sharing knowledge on campus or teaching in rural areas, being able to use my abilities to light the way for others is the most meaningful thing I can do.”
