Dr. Neway Belachew Tadesse works on his experiment. (COURTESY PHOTO)

By Staff Reporters

There is a group of renowned researchers gathering at Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology & Engineering, CAS (CNITECH), providing vital support for the development of material technology in Ningbo city and Zhejiang province as a whole. Among this strong scientific research team, there are also foreign experts who moved to Ningbo with an enthusiasm for science and a hope to pursue their dream careers.

Ethiopian Neway Belachew Tadesse is one of them. Last August, Tadesse successfully applied for a fellowship at CNITECH, and started a new life journey in Ningbo.

For Tadesse, science is a way of understanding nature, which has provided powerful evidence and solutions to all the problems that he has encountered.  He has been interested in science since childhood. When talking about dreams with other children, he was already fascinated by the portraits of great scientists on the wall in the classroom. The seeds of a science career seem to have already taken root in his heart in those young years.

Tadesse's research field focuses on chemistry. In his point of view, chemistry connects the biological world and the physical world, and serves as the central discipline of science. Perhaps in the view of the public, chemistry is an extremely complex and difficult discipline, but not to him. "Chemistry is experimental science and interesting," he said, adding that he and his colleagues are currently researching the manufacture of hydrogen energy using a green and renewable approach. Tadesse thinks chemistry has a wide range of application scenarios with infinite possibilities.

At CNITECH, every student or researcher is responsible for their own work. Tadesse believes that the attitude towards academics should be rigorous and respectful. During his study, he carefully listens to the professor's feedback, so as to improve and enhance his work. He leads a simple life, and while scientific research occupies a lot of his time, he tries to keep a balance between his work and family, by having fun too.

An ideal research environment is vital for scientists. In Tadesse's opinion, Ningbo is the ideal place for the realization of innovation. He learned about the beautiful city for the first time from one of his friends, a student from Ningbo University. When he first arrived in Ningbo, the city was beyond his imagination. He marveled at the convenient infrastructure, with its safe and livable environment.

Tadesse frequently expresses his love for Ningbo. In his leisure time, he likes to take public transportation to see the beautiful scenery of the city and explore the food, which is different from his hometown, with his colleagues. As a scientific researcher, he also appreciates the city's emphasis on bright prospects for the development of scientific research. He described the city as "a rising star" with development potential and hopes to settle here on a long term basis with his wife and two children.

This article is contributed by the Ningbao Municipal Department of Science and Technology.