Kashan Khan, a 2019 Pakistani Ph.D. candidate, now studying at the School of Civil Engineering in Tianjin University (TJU) with Professor Chen Zhihua as his tutor. Looking back, the wonderful connection between Kashan and TJU can be traced to 6 years ago - After graduating from Pakistan, Kashan decided to deepen his study in China for its deep history, lucid waters, lush mountains, and magnificent skyscrapers. Speaking about why he chose TJU as his top priority, Kashan stated: "As the first modern university in China, Tianjin University takes 'seeking truth from facts' as the motto of its school; and abundant research resources andtop-rankingfaculties in civil engineering. So to me TJU is a dreamy higher school." As a result, TJU has also become one of the most ideal choices over the course of his past experience.
Eventually, Kashan came to China and arrived at TJU on August 25, 2016, which was an unforgettable day for him. He started to study here as a postgraduate in civil engineering, under the guidance of Professor Yan Jia-Bao. Initially, Kashan didn’t get his Chinese name, and couldn’t understand Chinese either, which made him a little frustrated and nervous. However, during his two-year master’s study, he made lots of Chinese and international friends and had an increasingly understanding of the Chinese language. In the meantime, devoted himself to scientific research, Kashan was very diligent in his profession under supervisors. By virtue of the support of the school, the guidance of teachers and his own efforts, Kashan successfully obtained his master’s degree in 2018.
Two-year precious campus life in TJU made Kashan inseparable from TJU and China, which has driven his choice for further study as a doctoral candidate. In addition to his professional studies, Kashan was eager to explore the Chinese culture and Chinese language for an in-depth understanding. Therefore, he participated in a doctoral program taught in Chinese after one-year language study. Under the careful guidance of teachers and the encouragement of his Chinese friends, Kashan has gradually mastered oral speaking skills, and he can even speak some dialects, such as: Beijing “tei hao”(Beijing is wonderful), Tianjin “bei’er mei”(Tianjin is so beautiful), Luoyang “zhen zhong”(Luoyang is terrific).
In 2020, as the world has encountered the unprecedented challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kashan was deeply moved and appreciative after reading President Xi Jinping's reply letter to Pakistani students, where the country has shown great concern for international students. Apart from that, Kashan was also deeply inspired by the solid friendship between China and Pakistan promoted by the “Belt and Road” initiative during the pandemic. Moreover, TJU has provided students with meticulous care during the pandemic, which made Kashan feel warm and soothed that he turned into research motivation later.
Under the guidance of Professor Chen Zhihua, Kashan holds an active and serious spirit towards his study and experiments. During his Ph.D. studies, Kashan has published eight high-level academic papers as the first author, with a cumulative impact factor of 31.791. At present, as a reviewer for SCI journals Journal of Constructional Steel Research, Mathematical Problems in Engineering, and Journal of The Institution of Engineers (India): Series A (Springer), Kashan has become a well-known expert in steel construction and has made some achievements in the international arena with academic influence.
Currently, Kashan has participated in two national research projects, two provincial and ministerial research projects, and also cooperated with experts from Northumbria University and City University of London in the UK in related fields. In addition, Kashan and his fellow students in the group have worked together as a team and helped more than ten students with delicate SCI paper revisions more than twenty times, spearheading the group to make concerted progress. Prof. Chen, Kashan's supervisor, described Kashan as a perfect, dedicated and selfless student who actively spreads Chinese culture and contributes to the deepening of Sino-Pakistani friendship and cultural exchange; and he is already a rising star in the international civil engineering field in academic terms, with a bright and promising future.
Not only has Kashan achieved academic success, but he has also gained the praise and affection of his fellow Chinese classmates. The positive attitude, strong sense of responsibility, dedication to Chinese culture, and the initiative to integrate into the subject group held by Kashan have won the common praise of his teachers and students.
Kashan said, “I have learned Chinese language and professional knowledge, understood Chinese culture and made many good friends from all over the world at TJU. I hope that this university will become better and better as a whole and become a world-class university soon. In addition, I hope more international talents will come to China and TJU to make their own contributions to building a community with a shared future for mankind!”
By: He Chenlin
Editor: Qin Mian
