People

At the forefront of China-U.S. educational integration, Wenzhou-Kean University continues to write new chapters of innovation. Professor Xie Zhiwu, a scholar with a diverse academic background and a global perspective, has journeyed from Shanghai Jiao Tong University to top institutions in Europe and the United States, before ultimately choosing to settle down at WKU. Holding multiple roles—Assistant Vice Chancrllor for Academic Affairs, Interim Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Director of the Library—how will he drive the development of this young university? Let’s listen to his insights.Please briefly introduce your educational background and academic experience.I studied mechanical engineering at Shanghai Jiao Tong University from undergrad to PhD, specializing in gas turbines. I spent two years in the UK doing postsoc in computer science, and then moved to the US.In the next 20 years I have worked in different places, including los alamos national lab, johns hopkins medical school, and public broadcasting service, the TV channel that produces sesame street. I started my tenure track at virginia tech, stayed for more than a decade, got promoted to full professor and was given more administrative duties. The MBA was part of my on-the-job training while on an associate dean level position at virginia tech.In terms of research I was kind of a nomad, wandering from one area to the other, but always focusing on problem-solving using computing and information science methods and tools. My first job in the US was working on a NASA program sending a superfluidity experiment test rig to the international space station. I then worked at the los alamos national lab developing digital libraries for scientists. It amazes me how modern science and research has evolved to be so complicated and so specialized that a renaissance man becomes an endangered species.The complexity of modern science is exactly where i see how i fit in. I spend about 15 years working with researchers in various fields. For example, I work with civil engineering professors collecting and processing huge amount of sensor data to answer research questions like, where in the building are lots of people, so we should pump more cool air to that region? Or, if an emergency happens in the building, can we leverage the sensor to immediately lock down the building and direct people to the safest locations? I also work with contemporary historians to collect and process huge amount of web data, to answer questions like, how did patriotic sentiments change over time in certain regions, and with biologists and neuroscientists to process huge amount of microscopy images to answer questions like, what are the statistic features of a certain cell organelle and how does it correlate with the development of Alzheimer’s disease and epilepsy. More recently, I started working with business professors to unveil secrets in real-time streaming based online direct sales. WKU students interested in this topic should get in touch with me.How did you join Wenzhou-Kean University (WKU)? What is the greatest attraction of WKU for you?Several years ago, I was seriously considering coming back to China. At a professional conference, I ran into a colleague from another US state university. We talked about collaborating on research as well as our own career development. He used to work here and suggested WKU for me. That's how it started.The primary feature of WKU is that it is young and provides endless opportunities to me and everyone in it. Unlike many established universities where the culture and policies are already set in stone and rather difficult to change, here we are still developing and experimenting. Being part of its growth is indeed its greatest attraction. “Start here, go anywhere” applies to all of us as well as the university itself.03What was your first impression of the WKU campus?Awesome! You know, in many US flagship state universities, the president and the provost would be very proud if they could build a single building like ours in a decade. WKU manages to build a whole campus, beautiful and stunning. Words cannot sufficiently describe it, so I would rather rely on your videos to share our successes.You currently hold multiple roles. How do you think your past education and work experience can bring innovation to your new responsibilities?My primary appointment is at the VCAA office, assisting Dr. Yang. The library director job is an add-on to my VCAA portfolio. I help run the College of Liberal Arts while the search for a new dean is underway. However, for the time being, the dean's job takes the majority of my time.I doubt any past experience can fully prepare anyone for all these three jobs, but at least my mishmash of experience provided me with some knowledge and a glimpse into many aspects of these jobs. For example, I had never thought my two-year stint at PBS, the largest public TV network in the US, and my deep collaborations with English department and History Department professors at Virginia Tech could be useful in the future to run CLA, which includes Communications, English, Psychology, and Humanities and Social Sciences departments.What are your current key priorities and plans?At CLA, the focus is largely on maintaining a steady pace of growth while aiming at selected strategic opportunities. WKU teaches all courses in English and CLA offers a high percentage of the university's foundational courses, preparing students for their next three years and beyond. Keeping a high standard on these foundational courses is, therefore, a high priority not only for the college but also for our students’ educational experience. The Psychology department is working to build a state-of-the-art research lab. The communications department plans to add a master’s program soon. The college is expanding fast and hiring many new positions. All these are exciting opportunities.At the VCAA, we are starting to build a more holistic teaching evaluation program as well as a collaborative research seed grant program to promote cross-pollination among different WKU colleges.At the library, we are working towards broader and deeper integration into the university’s teaching and research.As I just mentioned, the VCAA office is working on a new internal seed grant program to promote collaborations between faculty and students from different WKU departments and colleges. Many such collaborations are already happening but can benefit from more administrative support. As the university grows, it becomes harder to know what is going on in a different building, on a different floor in the same building, or even across the hallway on the same floor. This program hopefully can attract researchers across the university to share their ideas and find collaborators in other departments. The program is a seed program because we imagine the collaborations start from this program but do not stop here. With the seed funding, this program can build prior work to enable researchers to seek external fundings and expand the scale of the collaborations.In the context of modern education, how do you view the integrated development of humanities disciplines with technology and interdisciplinary studies?As I mentioned before, my background and experience cuts across many different disciplines. I definitely see interdisciplinary collaboration a main driving force to grow research and scholarship. In liberal arts, it has been a major trend for humanists to leverage digital methods as well as computation and AI tools to discover patterns not seen before. The terms digital humanity and computational social sciences have been around for several decades now. We definitely want to catch up on these. Both COMM and HSS have great potentials in doing so.How can the library move beyond its traditional role as a "book repository" to become an extension of teaching and research?We certainly need to go much farther beyond a repository of knowledge. Instead, we must grow into a research and teaching hub, not only as a place to collaborate, but also technology-ready and skills-ready for doing so. We have been collaborating with various academic departments and colleges to embed digital literacy teaching in various courses, and host scholarly events in the library. We have offered workshops and teaching materials to help students see how modern research is done using computers and digital tools, not just sitting behind a stack of books. We are in the process to build up our research support capabilities, hiring staff with big data and AI skills, to be embedded in various research groups to help solve research problems. We will become a new type of library far beyond just collections and space.In terms of academics and resource acquisition, what unique platforms do you think WKU can provide to the students?We are already a unique information platform. Students at WKU have access to a wealth of physical and electronic books, journals, databases, and other resources, primarily in English, similar to many other universities in the US but very rare in China. The majority of our collections is in English. Every WKU student has a kean.edu account, allowing them to access resources in the US that is not widely available in other Chinese universities. As an example, we are in the process to purchase several hundred sets of Great Courses DVDs, each carefully selected from the best US undergraduate programs, taught by the best professors and carefully produced, to supplement our classroom teaching.How could WKU students improve their academic skills and find their career directions?WKU students are brilliant, hardworking, and ambitious. All the qualities preparing them for a bright future.Fully leverage our faculty’s experience and expertise and the wealth of campus opportunities. Do not close off your campus experience in the classroom, textbooks, exams, and presentations. Pay more attention to experiential learning and research opportunities. Try different things.What would you like to say to the students of WKU and the students who are interested in studying at WKU?To current students, I know many of you are preparing for grad school. GPA is important, but do not let GPA dominate your WKU experience. That would be the most expensive opportunity cost you pay here. WKU does not just prepare you for your grad school. Used more effectively, WKU can also prepare you for your next 20, 30 years.To future students, WKU provides you with opportunities you can rarely get elsewhere in China. Start here, you can go anywhere.

The Journey of Dr. Alexander Scott English embodies intellectual rigor and cross-cultural empathy. An American by birth, yet a China scholar by heart, Dr. English has spent nearly two decades bridging East and West through the lens of intercultural psychology. As a researcher, he dives deep into the human psyche across cultures, while as a teacher, he nurtures curiosity and compassion in every student he meets. This time, we will offer a closer look at the academic path and personal story of him. "Research Rooted in the Real World"“I live in China but still see the world through American eyes.” With this perspective, Dr. English investigates how people adapt across cultural boundaries—and how identity, stress, and belonging intertwine in a globalized world.Since joining WKU in 2023, he has led a significant research project on retaining international talent in Zhejiang Province, funded by a key provincial grant. The study has earned recognition as part of the “2023 Oujiang Young Social Scientists” initiative.In one of his most innovative methods, Dr. English collected over 350 hair samples from professionals across more than 10 Chinese cities to measure cortisol levels—a biological stress marker. Paired with in-depth interviews, the results revealed invisible pain points facing returnees: unclear identities, marginal roles in promotion systems, and undervaluation of intellectual property. Surprisingly, those with a stronger sense of cultural belonging reported lower stress levels, even with longer working hours.“I want my work to be more than just published—it should matter.” For Dr. English, psychology is not confined to academic journals. It is a living tool that can inform policy, enrich classrooms, and help societies navigate change. 主持《老龄化与文化适应研究的跨文化交流》讲座“Learn by Doing”“Stay curious about change” is more than advice. It is the philosophy that defines Dr. English’s approach to teaching. In 2024, he guided students Liu Xiaoying and Ma Yilin winning the Shark Tank by their project "Exploring Cross-Cultural Trust in AI.Their prototype, an “AI Interviewer” with cultural sensitivity features, was also showcased at an international conference in Bali. The team later organized “AI Awareness Week,” a campus-wide initiative featuring simulations, resume clinics, and ethics talks. it effectively deepened students’ understanding of how culture and technology intersect in the age of artificial intelligence.Behind these achievements is Dr. English signature teaching method: letting students do before they fully know. He often encourages students to build models, analyze data, and wrestle with problems before offering guidance. “Don’t wait to be taught,” he tells them. “Go explore.” This active-learning approach has led many of his students to grow into independent thinkers and global citizens. Two core team members from the AI project have since been admitted to the University of Cambridge.In his view, the classroom is not a one-way street. “I learn just as much from my students as they do from me,” he says. “I’m fascinated by their creativity, energy, and the emoji culture on WeChat—it’s like a language of its own.” Through these micro-interactions, he stays closely attuned to the cultural pulse of the next generation.“Where the Heart Finds Peace Is Home”Dr. English’s journey to China began with a simple question typed into Google: “What’s the hardest language in the world?”The answer "Chinese" sparked a lifelong adventure of him. Arriving in 2007 for a China-American education initiative, he quickly became intrigued by Chinese as a language and the cultural psychology it reflects. Back then, mental health was still taboo in many parts of Chinese society. That realization ignited his passion to dive deeper, not just as an observer, but as a participant.He faced language barriers, cultural disconnects, and even academic isolation. Over time, he did not just study the culture—he lived it. He traveled across 28 provinces, climbed sacred mountains, and led intercultural dialogues across Asia. He collaborated with anthropologists, linguists, and psychologists to explore how cultural narratives shape human thought. He calls these field experiences “experiments of the body”—a way to physically sense culture, not just read about it.Now fluent in Chinese and culturally embedded, Dr. English sees China not as a field site, but as home. He engages students in class discussions on identity, belonging, and cultural transformation. He finds meaning in ordinary moments—street conversations, online slang, even sticker packs on WeChat.“I came searching for the world’s hardest language. What I found was a second soul.” He is more than a scholar to his students—he is a cultural bridge, mentor, and friend. They call him a “China expert” not for the title, but for the trust he has earned by listening deeply, observing closely, and connecting authentically. In the global age, where cultures collide and identities evolve, Dr. English continues to explore the shared humanity beneath our differences—one conversation, one study, and one classroom at a time.

Jungbin Kim, a distinguished young scholar with multiple research accomplishments, is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental Science at Wenzhou-Kean University (WKU). He has a unique teaching philosophy and is always passionate about exploring Chinese culture and life. As one of the international top young talents, Professor Kim embarked on his extraordinary journey with WKU in 2023. His story is full of creativity, responsibility, and pursuit.AI-Powered Water Treatment and Desalination ResearchJungbin Kim is a Special Issue Editor for the esteemed academic journalDesalinationand a committee member of the Young Leaders Program of the International Desalination & Reuse Association (IDRA). He has published numerous articles in leading SCIE journals in the fields of environment and chemical engineering. His innovative work includes 17 applied patents and 10 granted patents for environmental processes, with twopatents successfully transferred to companies. In recognition of his achievements, he received the prestigious Korea Young Talent Award from the President of the Republic of Korea and the Zhejiang Young Talent Award.Recently, the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) announced its list of 2024 grant recipients. In the intense competition with only a 10.87% approval rate, Professor Jungbin Kim’s project,“A Study on Semi-Batch Reverse Osmosis Scaling Mechanisms Using a Machine Learning-Based Scaling Index,”stood out and was successfully approved as part of the Research Fund for International Young Scientists. This is a remarkable achievement as he secured the NSFC funding within just one year of working in China.In the field of water treatment, reverse osmosis membrane technology is a key method for transforming seawater or wastewater into clean water. However, during the desalination process, particulate or dissolved matter can accumulate on the surface of the membranes, forming fouling. In particular, scaling becomes a significant issue in reverse osmosis at high recovery due to the increased concentration of dissolved solids. Professor Kim explained that scaling will deteriorate the membrane performance by obstructing water flow, reducing operational efficiency, and potentially causing membrane damage. Therefore, minimizing scaling to extend the membrane’s lifespan and improve desalination efficiency is essential in high-recovery reverse osmosis operation. To better understand and address this challenge, he decided to adopt an innovative approach: Integrating artificial intelligence technology into the project.Forming Teams, Improving Environments: Teacher and Students Shape a Greener FutureJungbin Kim graduated from Korea University with a Ph.D. in Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering. While he was working at Korea University, he was deeply involved in an international seawater desalination project jointly conducted by Korea-UAE and worked on this project for six years, gaining valuable academic and industrial experiences. Driven by a great interest in water treatment and desalination, particularly addressing water pollution in various water bodies, he began paying attention to the local water environment after arriving in Wenzhou.Thisspring, Professor Kim, together with his six students andone university staff, joineda research project focused on the valorization of municipal water bodies. The primary goal of the project is to recover clean water and heavy metals from municipal surface water for circular economy purposes using reverse osmosis and electrodeposition while evaluating energy consumption and economic value.This technology will ultimately reduce environmental pollution and benefit local people by providing safe water and the environment. The significance of this scientific finding will be highly valued for the local community.The research team tried to understand the characteristics of various water bodies across Wenzhou’s urban areas. After carefully selecting the best sampling location, water samples were collected and their characteristics such as conductivity and pH were analyzed. With the pretreatment of water samples, they apply reverse osmosis and electrodeposition technologies to recover clean water and extract heavy metals from municipal surface water. Mathematical models were developed and used to calculate energy consumption and costs, assessing the feasibility of the technologies for circular economy principles. This rigorous routine has been repeated for several months.Professor Kim and his students also presented their research work at the 14th Conference of the Aseanian Membrane Society (AMS 14) and successfully filed a patent in China. “I’m thrilled to see our technology being applied in practice while testing and improving them for real-world applications. What’s even more valuable is the opportunity for my students to present research results and ask insightful questions to leading scientists worldwide. Such experiences are truly priceless for them,” Jungbin Kim remarked. Speaking of his recent work, Professor Kim stressed the weight of responsibility in advancing technology and aligning research with societal needs. As a teacher, he finds even greater fulfillment in seeing his students use their environmental science expertise to address real-world challenges and benefit from meaningful, impactful projects that combine hands-on experience with academic growth.Guiding the Way to Eco-Civilization: Elevating “Livable Cities” to a New Height“Twenty years ago, I studied Chinese for three years.” In 2007, Jungbin Kim visited China as a youth representative from South Korea to commemorate the 15th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations between China and South Korea. During the visit, he studied Chinese culture and language in Beijing and Wuhan, forming a deep bond with China. He has always been deeply fascinated by Chinese culture and way of life. After arriving at WKU, he adapted to the new environment and pace of life, feeling right at home while balancing the Chinese and American environments.During his spare time, he enjoys exploring Wenzhou’s diverse cultural activities and simply cycling without a set destination, finding a sense of relaxation and freedom. “This city is beautiful and livable, leaving me with an excellent impression. It offers the convenience of urban life without feeling overwhelming. In Wenzhou, I can enjoy so various simple pleasures. I have been to many big cities, but the atmosphere in Wenzhou is truly unique.” He said with a smile.Looking ahead, Professor Kim hopes to transform his research into practical applications to help enhance water quality and aquatic ecological health in Wenzhou. “Water scarcity and pollution are challenges we must face, but how can we increase the efficiency of water utilization? How can we improve water treatment processes? I want to find the answers.” As a resident living in Wenzhou, he is thrilled to contribute his passion and expertise to improving Wenzhou’s water quality, promoting a circular economy, and benefiting all. He believes that through effective research innovation and collaboration between academia and industry, Wenzhou can make even greater strides in the construction of ecological civilization.