Peng Yawei is a fourth-year student in UIC's Statistics Programme, and she is prepared for her next adventure at Cambridge University's MPhil in Population Health Sciences for her master's study.

Peng Yawei

Peng has been diligently pursuing knowledge since the moment she arrived at UIC. She spent most of her time studying at the Learning Resource Centre and received numerous academic awards during her four-year study for her excellent performance.

Peng believed that UIC had laid a solid foundation for her future academic development.

The programme's curriculum setting introduced students to the academic frontier, which emphasised practical applications of statistics and explored theoretical concepts and the latest developments within the field. The group assignments pushed students to learn independently and apply their knowledge to solve real-world problems. The College also frequently hosted academic seminars and invited experts to share their knowledge, providing many learning opportunities for its students.

Peng Yawei (third from right) with Associate Professor of the Faculty of Science and Technology Dr Deng Yuhui (fourth from left)

Peng particularly valued the support from UIC's faculty. She remarked that teachers were always patient in answering questions and cared about students. Their teaching style encouraged students to digest the knowledge in lectures further and helped develop Peng's love for statistics.

During her undergraduate study, Peng participated in two research projects.

Her first project was led by Dr Du Xinwei, where they conducted statistical signal processing-related research and were granted funding support from the Guangdong provincial government. Her second project, which was also her final year project (FYP), was under the guidance of Dr Ma Chuoxin. The project focused on modelling recurrence events with cure rates and its application to bladder cancer data analysis.

Peng Yawei (second from right) and her teammates with Dr Du Xinwei (second from left)

The research provided Peng with a wealth of knowledge for her interview with Cambridge University, giving her the confidence and composure to engage in academic discussions.

Dr Ma Chuoxin praised Peng Yawei as one of the most exceptional students she had ever encountered at UIC. Being diligent, creative, and independent, she believed that Peng would be all-round in statistics.

Peng Yawei with Dr Ma Chuoxin (right)

Throughout her four years at UIC, Peng sought her interests as well. She discovered the beauty of the Guqin through UIC's general education, which led her to the UIC Nanhaiqingyin Qin Club.

Peng Yawei plays the Guqin

Peng Yawei's time at UIC has developed her love for statistics and research. With a keen interest in public health and biopharmaceuticals, she aims to continue her studies and research to contribute to society.

From MPRO

Reporter: Cecilia Yu

Photos provided by the interviewee

Editor: Deen He