A master’s degree to move from theory to innovation

In the flat, open grasslands of Inner Mongolia, Yuncong Bai watched giant wind turbines rotate in the air, providing power for much of the region.

Though he eventually moved to Beijing and then to Shenzhen for college, he still visited family in Mongolia and saw the turbines turn again and again, inspiring him to consider what was possible for future of our planet’s energy. 

“It planted a seed in my heart to understand materials for sustainable energy,” he said.

After studying chemistry and materials science as an undergraduate, he knew he wanted to travel to the United States for a graduate degree. When a friend told him about the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (UChicago PME), he studied research papers published by UChicago PME faculty.

“The faculty are very famous,” he said. “And engineering seemed like a way to bridge the gap between theory and practice. In my university, we learned a lot of theory, but theory itself cannot change the world. We need to bring innovation to industry, and UChicago was the start of the journey for me to fill that gap.”

Now a student in UChicago PME’s Master of Engineering program, he’s on the energy and sustainability track. In addition to foundational courses in areas such as thermodynamics, he’s also taking an emerging technologies course, where speakers from industry discuss the hurdles that must be overcome to convert a scientific concept into a commercial product.

“This is what needs to happen to change people’s lives, so I’m very interested in that,” he said. “And every professor is very friendly and wise. They have a broad view and are very experienced.”

Outside of the classroom, he has joined the lab of Prof. Shirley Meng, who discovers and designs better materials for energy storage. His goal is to get experience conducting research on improving battery performance—experience that will ultimately help him toward his goal of working in the sustainable energy industry.

“I really enjoy solving problems, and in science and research, solving problems is like climbing mountains,” he said. “Whenever you finish climbing the mountain, there is always another mountain. The process is tough, it’s difficult, but I like to climb mountains.”

Outside of the classroom, Bai enjoys playing basketball at UChicago’s Gerald Ratner Athletics Center and meeting other students from across different cultures. “Diversity makes us better, because everyone provides a different perspective,” he said. “It’s the same as studying. Be open to everything, and you can learn as much as possible.”

—Learn more about the Master of Engineering degree at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering