Lucia Greenland’s Summer 2025 Research at SUSTech, Shenzhen, China
November 4, 2025 By Lucia Greenland (Edit)
Read below about Lucia Greenland’s Summer 2025 conducting research at SUSTech in Shenzhen, China
This summer, I conducted research at the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) in Shenzhen, China. I was able to participate through one of Berkeley GLOBE’s summer abroad research programs, and I am extremely grateful for the experience, the scholarship that supported my journey, and SUSTech for offering this opportunity.
I flew out to Shenzhen at the end of May, landing in Hong Kong. Luckily, I was picked up by some Materials Science and Engineering students from SUSTech, both of whom are studying abroad at Berkeley for the next year. While the flight to Hong Kong was arduous, my journey into Shenzhen was fascinating due to the modern public transit systems and how different everything was from the U.S. and other cities I’ve visited.
After a few days of campus orientation, I moved into an off-campus apartment with another UC Berkeley student. While the apartment itself may not be particularly noteworthy, I thought it was interesting to mention that we lived on the 41st floor. As someone who grew up in the suburbs and has never lived higher than the second floor, residing on the 41st floor was a bit of a shock for me. The view was amazing, especially at night as the sun was setting, although it was somewhat daunting to be so high up.
Once I settled in, I began working in my first research group, led by Professor Mingwei Chen in the Materials Science department. This group focused on batteries and energy at the nuclear level. During my time there, I worked on lithium-based solid-state batteries, where one of the graduate students taught me how to assemble and create the layers of the battery. It was an educational experience, as I learned how to use a glovebox and test the batteries after assembly. The process had a bit of a learning curve; my first few batteries short-circuited due to electrolytes seeping through the layers inside the battery. It was interesting how such a small issue could determine whether a battery functioned properly. The lab group was very welcoming, and we even went out for dinner a few times, which made me feel more at home in such a new environment. Each outing was an opportunity to try something new, mainly at hot pot restaurants, where I ended up tasting a variety of new foods, such as duck and cow intestine, duck blood, and liver. Surprisingly, they were quite good, but definitely an interesting experience! One of my favorite memories was when the lab group took me out for hot pot on my birthday at a restaurant called Hai Di Lao, famous for its birthday performances. I was so grateful for their kindness, as it was my first time celebrating my birthday away from my family. It was nice to have others to celebrate with.
In my second month at SUSTech, I conducted research in Zhubing He’s lab, focusing on the fabrication of Perovskite Solar Cells. Similar to the previous lab, most of my work was done in a glovebox, but this time I was in a clean room. The assembly process was more complex than that of the batteries, but very rewarding. Professor He also provided us with opportunities outside of the lab to learn about Shenzhen’s culture and the field of Materials Science. He took another Berkeley student and me to Shenzhen’s International Conference on Energy, where we were able to hear about research from renowned scientists. I valued my time in this lab for the knowledge I gained and the cultural experiences, as I had the chance to explore more of the city.
Overall, I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity and how GLOBE supported me every step of the way. I cherish the friendships I made during this experience and the outings we shared outside of research. The lifestyle and culture were vastly different from that of Berkeley, so it was comforting to have a few familiar faces with me. The adventure I had was truly unforgettable.
