Yanning Li

Yanning Li graduated from the Polymer Materials Science and Engineering MSc in 2007 with a Distinction. Yanning is from China and obtained her BEng degree in Materials Science and Engineering from Beijing University of Chemical Technology (China) before coming to the School of Materials. Here she tells us about her experiences:

I graduated from the School of Materials, The University of Manchester, last year with an MSc (Distinction) in Polymer Materials Science and Engineering. My postgraduate dissertation project was to study the interaction between amino acid derivatives with various level of aromaticity and graphitic surfaces with different specific surface areas and curvatures.

I chose to study for this MSc because I found the course to be quite interdisciplinary in nature which allows you to have access to a wide range of knowledge including materials science, physics, chemistry and engineering. And this means that your career options in the future can be very flexible, you can choose to do academic/research work in the field of materials science, physics and chemistry or to be employed in industry.

What were your reasons for choosing the School of Materials at Manchester?

First, because of its world-renowned academic reputation (the University won the coveted Sunday Times University of the Year award in 2006 following its success in receiving the inaugural Times Higher Education Supplement's Institution of the Year title in 2005) as well as the active research environment and best-in-class research facilities. And the staff here are quite professional and responsible. The school also maintains a close relationship with industry which means that you can get more practical experience. In addition, I really enjoyed the multicultural dynamic environment of the University with students from over 160 countries; and Manchester is a city that has a lot to offer: sport, theatres, film, classical and popular live music, shopping, museums, art galleries and international cuisine.

What would you say have been the main benefits of this course to you?

I feel that during my postgraduate study I have learnt how scientific research is conducted in the western way, which is quite different from that in my country. I have become more independent in my research because the study here gives me more opportunity/space to develop my creativity and innovative thinking. And through the group discussion in the class and the advice the course has offered, my communication and presentation skills have greatly improved.

What were the main highlights of your time in Manchester?

I think it should be my graduation ceremony held on 12th Dec 2007, my biggest day in Manchester. I was so excited about this day - wearing the graduation gown and to be authorised the certificate from the President of the University. This is quite special because it is the best reward for my hard-work and efforts during the postgraduate study - I will treasure it for the rest of my life.

So, what are you doing now?

I am about to begin my first year PhD study at the School of Materials. My project is "Development of Peptide Surfactants for Inorganic Nanomaterial Production" which is co-supervised by Dr. Ian Kinloch and Dr. Rein Ulijn.

This project is based on my MSc dissertation project and aims to look further into the production of nanomaterials using templates method.

How do you think your study at the School of Materials has helped your career?

I think my study at the School of Materials is a good preparation for my future career either in academia or industry. Through the theoretical study and the practical lab work done here, I have acquired a systematical and profound understanding of the concepts and theories in the field of polymer materials science and, also, I have greatly improved my experimentation skills both of which are of great importance for successful job-hunting.

What are your plans for the next couple of years?

Upon completion of my PhD study, I plan to continue to do research as a post-doc and then I want to work in the R and D department in a technology company in UK to gain some working experience. I think the environments of academia and industry are quite different and both of them are necessary to my career development. After that, I plan to return to China and to enter one of the top research institutes in China or to work as a professor at a leading Chinese university, a position which will enable me to train many more academic professionals in this field.