Samuel Federico, Chinese name Zhang Wanhao, is a young Chinese Argentinian who is currently studying at Zhejiang University. This 20-year-old boy made an eye-catching debut on the first meeting with the journalist of In Zhejiang at the backstage of the "Dreams Come True in Zhejiang" International Students Talent Show, a big get-together of international students in Zhejiang Province. 

(Samuel and his classmates on the stage)

During the interview, Samuel said sincerely that he felt very happy to join this wonderful gala with so many excellent students across the world and to jointly introduce Zhejiang to the world. He and his classmates have prepared a long period for the debut on the stage. When he heard the applause from the audience, he felt encouraged by their success.

Samuel was born in Argentina. He finished his primary and secondary education in China. After that, he went to the United States to pursue his high school education. And now, he is an undergraduate student at Zhejiang University, one of the flagship educational institutions in Zhejiang Province. The details abovementioned is the trajectory of his life over the past 20 years, which is full of internationalization and deeply imprinted with his attachment to China. In the interview, he said sincerely that China is his cultural root forever. 

"I miss the Chinese vibe of reunion"

"The moonlight tonight is brighter than ever, and I am thinking of you; Although you are two thousand miles away, I wish I was there with you." Reunion and perfection are cultural notes flowing in the blood of the Chinese nation and are also one of the most beautiful values of Chinese culture. For many Chinese people overseas, the reunion is the most beautiful scenery.

In the interview, Wanhao revealed that his original plan was to continue his education in the United States and then stay there. However, by coincidence, in 2019, he came across a documentary series called "A Bite of China". He was homesick for his hometown at that time and was deeply attracted by the strong vibe of Chinese New Year and the reunion atmosphere in the video. He immediately made a decision - go to the university in China! 

The most beautiful recollection is Jiangnan

His encounter with Zhejiang started with a trip to West Lake in 2017. That year, he paid a visit to West Lake in Hangzhou with his family. "Light rays dance about the rippling waves in the Sun; Rare hill-view, misty void, and hazy rains are one." The beauty of West Lake and the cultural atmosphere of the city, which is full of Jiangnan charm, gentleness, and elegance, made him fall in love with Hangzhou. Recalling that wonderful trip, Wanhao highly commented, "Hangzhou is so beautiful!"

As to why he finally chose Zhejiang University (ZJU), besides the beautiful scenery of Hangzhou, the university's motto of "Seeking Truth, Pursuing Innovation" is also another important stimulus for his decision. According to Wenhao, the general atmosphere of ZJU is very innovation-promoting. When he first arrived at ZJU, professors would introduce current trends in technology and social development to their students in their first class, encouraging them to use innovative and entrepreneurial solutions to solve social problems and to contribute to creating a better world.

For him, the atmosphere that encourages innovation is what impresses him most about Zhejiang. From the government to the market, from enterprises to individuals, the pursuit of innovation in Zhejiang is evident everywhere.

Proactive in practice, seeking optimal solutions for fruting research results

In his spare time, Wanhao also actively participates in various innovation and entrepreneurship activities. The projects that he has involved in have won the gold medal in the 6th China International "Internet Plus" Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition and the gold medal in the 6th Zhejiang "Internet Plus" Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition, and so forth. He is also a member of the International Student Innovation and Career Club and the mainstay of the KAB Entrepreneurship Club at Zhejiang University.

He is currently involved in a project called Huasheng Technology, which is a one-stop service provider for biomedical laboratories. The project has 23 national invention patents, 323 utility new patents, and 18 design patents, and has a 160 mu laboratory industrial park, aiming to break the "last kilometer" of scientific research, so that to apply scientific research results in the laboratory to industry, and then benefit everyone.

According to Wanhao, many research results in China are currently concentrated in university laboratories with low commercialization capacity. Their project hopes to create a virtuous ecology for the transformation of scientific research - to shift some of the experimental procedures from inefficient and repetitive manual labor to efficient and automatic mechanized operation, to allow real-time and comprehensive monitoring of the laboratory environment to eliminate safety hazards, and to allow lab personnel to focus more time and energy on scientific research. In itself, they want to create a smarter and more humane laboratory environment that allows researchers from different fields to connect and collide with each other, to make every aspect of the experiment seamless, and to accelerate the idea in the scientist's mind into reality.

Behavior-going traditional Chinese culture education, China in heart forever 

Wanhao said in the interview that although he was overseas, he and his family have always been concerned about their homeland, China. His family kept him and his elder brothers educated about traditional Chinese culture from a young age. When he was a little boy, his parents often took him back to view the scenery in China and helped him understand the splendor of China's civilization. He said that he was fascinated by China's beautiful scenery and its long history and culture, from east to west, from cities to small towns, from scenery to people. Every corner of China shows its wide variety of charms.

His parents decided to send him back to China for elementary education when he was six years old so that he could learn Chinese better. At first, he was unfamiliar with the Chinese language, couldn't spell, and even failed the exams, but later he became familiar with Chinese history and culture. This process was also a baptism of traditional Chinese culture for Wanhao. Taught by his parents and immersed in the Chinese language and traditional culture as a child, Wanhao has a different feeling for China than the people around him. In his words, "The past, the present and the future, I'll stay gold. My dream is in China!”

At the end of the interview, Wanhao was pleased to say that China is becoming more and more open and international in all aspects. The conditions and facilities are very conducive to innovation and entrepreneurship. He encouraged overseas Chinese who want to make a career to return to China and carve out a niche.

(Written and edited by Ye Ke, Translated by Bian Bingying)