Helpful professors and comprehensive equipment at BME Faculty of Mechanical Engineering – interview with Gao Min

Gao Min

 Gao Min, an alumna of Guangxi University, China, is a PhD student of BME Faculty of Mechanical Engineering researches retina stimulation opportunities at the Department of Mechatronics, Optics and Mechanical Engineering Informatics. We talked not only about her research topic, but also her favourite Hungarian dishes and places in Budapest.

You are an alumna of Guangxi University, China. Why did you choose to study at BME?

Gao Min: Firstly, due to China’s One Belt, One Road Strategy, which Hungary joined as the first European country, providing opportunities for Chinese business people, but also students as me, to find opportunities in Hungary.

 

As a master student, I had a dream to study on PhD level abroad. My husband applied and received the Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship. Then we decided to come to Hungary together. It was an easy task to choose BME as an optical engineer, as there is a well-known department focusing on optics at the university (BME MOGI). Here I met my supervisor, Dr. Balázs Vince Nagy, researcher of human vision.

 

Secondly, my husband is also working on his PhD at the faculty, just at another department (Department of Polymer Engineering). He told me that the professors and lecturers are friendly and helpful. They can provide useful help for research, and indeed, the laboratory equipment is comprehensive, which means a lot for a researcher.

 

How do you like studying in Budapest?

Gao Min: Actually, my favourite place in the city is Margaret Island. I am keen on running; I have already run 250 kilometres since I am here in Budapest. Also, the island is a perfect place for relaxing. A favourite to-do of us is visiting thermal baths. When a paper of ours is accepted, my husband and I visit a thermal bath to celebrate. Luckily, we have several choices to go – as Budapest has eleven thermal baths.

 

By the way, the food I like the most is goulash soup, which I can also prepare by myself. The other one is lángos (pronunciation: langosh), a thick, dough bread, which I like without cheese.

 

So, what can you tell about your research topic, the human visual electrophysiology?

 

Gao Min: Human vision electrophysiology studies when you get some light stimulation, your retina responds with an electric signal. This signal, moreover, also shows, whether you have some disease or not. I’m investigating how to process this electric signal and new retina stimulation opportunities.

 

Do you have future research plans?

 

Gao Min: For the nearest future, I would like to focus on finishing my PhD studies. Later, I will continue to research this topic. After I finish, I am planning to go back to China, and continue my research, with the skills gained at BME, creating a long-term research collaboration, and keep working together.

 I would say that BME and Budapest is an excellent opportunity for a student who comes to Hungary, and prefers to study in an international environment. The rich history of BME also includes alumni like three Nobel prize laureates and several worldwide known researchers, as Theodor von Kármán, the founder of the supersonic aviation.

 

László Benesóczky