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On August 27, the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) announced the results of its 2025 funding program. This year, Wenzhou-Kean University received three funded projects with a total grant amount of RMB 2.1 million. Among them, Dr. Donghoon Lee from the College of Science, Mathematics and Technology / International Frontier Interdisciplinary Research Institute secured one General Program project; Dr. Susan Rutherford from the College of Science, Mathematics and Technology / International Frontier Interdisciplinary Research Institute, together with Dr. Alexander English from the College of Liberal Arts, each obtained one Research Fund for International Excellent Young Scientists project. These achievements represent a historic breakthrough for the university.According to relevant statistics, the average funding rate for NSFC projects in 2025 was only 12.29%. In recent years, Wenzhou-Kean University has placed strong emphasis on building its research capacity and accelerating innovation. The number and quality of NSFC funded projects at the university have shown a steady upward trend. Through a series of reforms and initiatives, the university continues to attract and cultivate high-level talents, strengthen the development of advanced research teams, and foster scientific platforms to enhance research performance and capacity. Looking ahead, WKU will continue to implement national strategic directives on scientific and technological innovation. By prioritizing organized research and capacity building, the university aims to further advance scientific innovation and contribute to the high-quality development of the institution.Donghoon LeeDr. Lee’s research centers on the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) and its regulation under physiological and pathological conditions such as starvation, inactivity, cancer, and aging. He has uncovered novel mechanisms that activate the 26S proteasome during catabolic and proteotoxic stress, identifying ZFAND5 as the first known proteasome activator that enhances enzymatic activity and promotes the clearance of ubiquitinated proteins. These discoveries have important implications for cellular health and diseases linked to muscle atrophy and proteotoxic stress, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. At WKU, Dr. Lee continues to investigate protein quality control, with a focus on the 26S proteasome and p97 as key regulators and drug targets.Susan RutherfordDr. Rutherford is dedicated to biodiversity conservation and deeply interested in the processes and patterns that drive plant evolution and speciation. Her research focuses on: (1) landscape genomics of closely related native species and species complexes to identify genetic diversity centers and hybridization hotspots, thereby advancing understanding of species evolution and distribution; (2) the responses of invasive weeds to new habitats in their introduced ranges, explored through interdisciplinary methods such as genomics, greenhouse experiments, field trait measurements, and environmental niche modeling; and (3) the evolutionary dynamics of rare and threatened species to generate insights that support effective conservation management.Alexander EnglishDr. English studies how culture affects the way humans behave. He also studies how people who move to new environments encounter subtle changes that lead to variations in psychological and cognitive processes. Recently, Dr. English had been interested in talent workplace management and development. Dr. English is the Director for the WKU Center for Behavioral Research Across Cultures (C-BRAC) and is an Associate Editor of the International Journal of Intercultural Relations.

“Thanks to ‘Student Research Day’, I realized that research isn’t something distant—it’s much closer to us than we think.” Wenzhou-Kean University (WKU) recently celebrated a milestone—its 10thannual Student Research Day, a tradition that’s reshaped how students view academic inquiry. During the opening ceremony, Wang Yiling, a graduating senior from the Psychology Department, shared her experience. Wang has taken part in seven research projects during her undergraduate years, gaining valuable skills in communication and critical thinking. Her research experience also paved the way for successful applications to research-focused master’s programs abroad. She has received offers from world-renowned institutions, including the UCL-Yale Collaborative Program, the University of Chicago, and King’s College London. Since launching in 2016, WKU’s Student Research Day has attracted over 3,500 participants and featured more than 2,500 research projects, making it a central driver for undergraduate research and future scholars. WKU Research Day Highlights: Over 600 Students and 400 Research ProjectsUpon entering WKU’s Ge Hekai Hall, visitors are greeted by rows of presentation boards and lively discussions. As more than 600 students this year presented more than 400 research projects, turning the space into a hub of curiosity and innovation. The research projects were developed by WKU students and cover fields from biology, economics, mathematics and computer science to psychology and education, reflecting WKU’s global research practices and interdisciplinary spirit. Students presented their findings through vibrant poster displays and three-minute speeches, offering a dynamic platform for students to showcase their work. One standout project in artificial intelligence came from accounting majors He Xinye, Huang Yuwei, and Chen Keqi, who surveyed 259 students. Their findings? Frequent users of AI tools like ChatGPT tended to have higher GPAs. Their study, “How Generative AI Tools Affect Academic Performance”, highlights that AI is becoming a “study assistant” for students but stresses the importance of proper guidance from instructors to prevent over-reliance. In public health, a Malaysian-led international team studied the potential impact of pet diseases on public health. By sequencing the genome of a multidrug-resistant bacterial strain, they revealed the risks of cross-species transmission. Psychology student Wang Shimeng presented her study, “A Longitudinal Study of Neurotic Traits and Life Satisfaction: The Meditating Role of University Belonging.” Her study revealed that students who often experience emotional fluctuations reported lower life satisfaction, but this negative effect was significantly reduced when they felt a sense of belonging on campus. Her research calls for universities to pay greater attention and make efforts in fostering an inclusive, emotional and supportive campus environment. Over 3,500 Participants and 2,500 Projects: A Decade of WKU Research DayWenzhou-Kean University launched its first “Student Research Day” in 2016 with the goal of building a diverse high-level research platform. Over the past decade, Student Research Day has attracted more than 3,500 participants and showcased over 2,500 research projects, making it a cornerstone for collaboration between undergraduate and postgraduate studies. From the inaugural Research Day, with just 72 student participants, to nearly ten times that number today, research at WKU has evolved from a niche activity to an integral part of the academic journey. Research once seen as an extra add-on for graduate school applications, has now become a “compulsory course” that supports the academic growth of many students. “Student Research Day” offers a platform for students to showcase their research and encourages critical thinking, teamwork, innovation and leadership skills. This year’s 10thedition celebrated not only student achievements but also WKU’s broader commitment to research development and student-centered education. An official from WKU credits the event with building a strong academic culture on campus rooted within students’ spirit of curiosity and exploration. From the laboratory to the community, and from academic papers to practical products, “Student Research Day” emerges as a foundational starting point and a pivotal milestone for the development of WKU students. Dr. Jungbin Kim, a faculty member in the College of Science, Mathematics, and Technology, emphasizes that importance of integrating research into real-world challenges. “Scientific inquiry should transcend the boundaries of purely academic disciplines,” he states. “It must address the tangible issues that we encounter in daily life.” One example of this approach in action is Dr. Jungbin Kim and his team of six students who have undertaken a municipal water recycling project. The team developed a system using reverse osmosis and electrodeposition to clean surface water and remove heavy metals from sources in Wenzhou. Their work was recognized internationally at the 14thAsia-Pacific Membrane Society Conference and has resulted in a patent filing. From this platform, other WKU students have developed innovations with real world impacts. In the Biology department under faculty guidance, students developed an antibacterial laundry detergent that now holds patents in both China and Europe and has been successfully commercialized. In addition to “Student Research Day,” the university has established the “Student Partnering with Faculty/Staff Research Program,” which covers the entire research process, from early-stage exploration to project implementation and publication. As of September 2024, more than 500 students collaborated with 130 faculty members on over 280 research projects with funding amounting to nearly seven million RMB. WKU has also supported over 500 students in participating in academic conferences both in China and internationally, giving them the opportunity to share their work on global stages. More than 250 student-led papers have been published in top academic journals, with many students listed as first or corresponding authors, a sign of their growing role in research and WKU’s rising influence in research. Translator: JIN Ziyang, ZHENG SiyuanProofreader: Amira Caballero

Among the 2022 cohort of Finance undergraduates, 63 students participated in a thesis writing course taught by ProfessorJianing Zhang. Of these, 20 undergraduates successfully published their undergraduate theses as first authors in international journals, including SSCI journals. For many undergraduates, writing a research paper is no easy task, and publishing an undergraduate thesis in mainstream international academic journals is even “harder than climbing to the sky.” A publication rate of one-third for the class is a nearly unrepeatable achievement, highlighting WKU’s exceptional performance in cultivating undergraduate research.The Story Behind the Breakthrough AchievementThe high publication rate of WKU undergraduates in international journals is a result of the university's unique teaching model and strong resource support. First, WKU employs a process-oriented, project-based teaching approach, breaking the thesis writing process into several phased tasks, from topic selection, literature review, data collection and analysis, to final writing and revisions, guiding students step by step. This systematic teaching approach significantly enhances students' research skills and the quality of their papers. Secondly, the university provides students with ample research resources, such as Bloomberg terminals and the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton Research Database Services, enabling them to access high-quality data and literature. WKU also emphasizes cultivating students' self-learning and independent thinking abilities, for example, using tools like STATA for data analysis and leveraging AI tools such as ChatGPT for programming assistance. The solid foundation in English that WKU students possess allows them to smoothly read and write academic papers in English, providing a crucial advantage in publishing in international journals.Student StoriesShuyi Yaoconducted research on whether the top ten holdings of Chinese equity funds could predict future stock performance, and her paper was eventually published in the SSCI journal “International Journal of Emerging Markets”. During the writing process, she faced skepticism from reviewers about the impact mechanisms and continuously refined the theoretical framework, proposing new hypotheses such as price pressure. This ultimately made the paper more convincing. Shuyi Yao stated that this research experience not only taught her rigorous research methods but also helped her develop perseverance and problem-solving skills when facing challenges.Jiongye Jin’s thesis explored the impact of green bond issuance on corporate stock returns during the pandemic. After completing the paper, she submitted it to the 3rd SEBI Research Conference in India and won a prize of 10,000 Indian Rupees. During the conference, the organizers recommended that she submit the paper to the ABS-2 journal “Asia-Pacific Financial Markets”. After submission, she received 41 revision comments from reviewers. Following multiple rounds of revisions, the paper was successfully published. She remarked that the interactions at the international conference greatly boosted his research confidence.Kangyi Wang’s thesis focused on the impact of the board female fraction in Japan on corporate performance. Throughout the publication process, she, along with Professors Jianing Zhang, Chunxiao Xue, and Jing Ma, underwent numerous revisions. In response to 30 revision comments from reviewers, their team worked together during the holidays, expanding the sample and increasing the paper from 7,000 to 13,000 words. The reviewers highly praised their revisions, and the paper was eventually published in the ABDC-B journal “Journal of Risk and Financial Management.”Qiongqiong Zhang’s thesis on carbon pricing and the stock performance of China’s carbon emissions trading pilot regions was eventually published in the ABDC-B journal “Review of Pacific Basin Financial Markets and Policies”. From submission in May 2022 to final publication in October 2023, the process took 17 months of revisions. She expanded the scope of the research, manually collected information from over 3,000 companies, and used Python for data processing, ultimately achieving success.Question: What advice and tips do you have for Finance undergraduates publishing papers in journals?Prof. Zhang: Undergraduates face some significant challenges when publishing journal articles. The first is topic selection. Many students tend to choose topics based on intuition, but this can lead to a situation where they have no solid data to support their research. I recommend starting with data and identifying potential research ideas through data analysis, which makes it easier to discover new research directions. The second challenge is data organization. Merging data from different databases is a technical task that requires learning database programming tools like SAS and SQL to efficiently handle and manage data. Third, statistical analysis is a key step. Mastering classical econometrics software like STATA can help students use statistical regression and other methods to generate high-quality analytical tables. Fourth, in terms of literature review, students need quick reading skills and the ability to build an overall framework. Making full use of existing literature reviews to trace relevant literature can yield twice the result with half the effort. In summary, undergraduate research requires not only diligence, patience, and attention to detail but also the development of complementary skills such as proficiency in English, computing, and mathematics.WKU’s Research Support and Future ProspectsWenzhou-Kean University provides abundant research resources and support to help undergraduates succeed in their academic journeys. The Office of Research and Sponsered Programs offers annual conference grants ranging from 2,000 to 3,000 RMB to each undergraduate, and promotes faculty-student collaboration through initiatives such as the “Student Pairing with Faculty (SpF) Research Program," fostering students’ innovation and academic skills. Since 2015, more than 500 students and 130 faculty members have participated in this program, with nearly 7 million RMB in funding awarded. Additionally, the university hosts an annual Student Research Day (SRD), showcasing the collaborative research achievements between faculty and students, greatly enhancing students' research capabilities and academic exchange skills.