CATCHING UP WITH ZHANG YU HUAI (NEO)  

04 June 2019

Down through the decades, international students at Queen's University have been promoting inclusion and diversity in every corner of campus and in the local community, none more so than Zhang Yu Huai from China.

Yu Huai, known to his friends in Belfast and elsewhere as Neo, was British Council International Student of the Year 2007 when he saw off stiff competition from more than 2,000 students representing 130 nationalities, to win the title. He was also winner of the First Trust Bank Queen's Student of the Year Award from his alma mater in the same year.

From Shenzhen in Guangdong Province in China, Neo studied Management at Queen's, graduating in 2007 with a BSc in Management. He was the first Chinese national to become a student officer at the University and actively promoted multi-culturalism, diversity and inclusivity by organising events, writing articles for the University's newspapers and presenting a talk-show on Queen's Radio.

Neo went on to become a Student Volunteering Officer for the National Union of Students and Student Union of Ireland (NUS-USI), eventually taking on the role of  Deputy Convenor of the organisation, where he pioneered new initiatives in diversity and inclusion through 'Multicultural Awareness Training' events.

Queen’s Alumni Officer for Engagement, Stephen O’Reilly, caught up with him during a recent visit to Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Beijing, when Stephen presented him with a souvenir plaque as a lasting reminder of his achievement, as part of the 20th anniversary celebrations of the prestigious awards scheme.

What has Neo been doing since his time at Queen's? Stephen O’Reilly explains: “Neo went on to study for an MSc in Management Research and Business Management at the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford in 2008.

“He continued his volunteering activities and served as President of the Oxford Alumni Society. His extraordinary contributions to the wider community were also recognised on the Oxford campus when he was awarded the Oxford Green Templeton Domus Merit Award in leadership in 2008, and the Templeton Nautilus Award for contribution to the wider community in the following year.”

Currently living in Shenzhen Neo is Deputy General Manager at Shenzhen Isis International Technology Transfer Centre.

At the time of his Award, Neo said: "I came to Queen's because I wanted to experience a different culture and Queen's is a very good university with a long history, more than 150 years.

“I really enjoyed my time here and am delighted that sharing the story of my Queen's experience helped me to win this Award."

Professor Peter Gregson, who was Queen's Vice-Chancellor at the time of the award, said of Neo: "Neo's enthusiasm for University life and his commitment to raising the profile of international students and promoting the benefits of a multi-cultural student body have been exceptional.

“Queen's is proud of its international students who do so much to enrich the university experience for all of us. Neo's well-deserved success reflects the contribution which these students make, not only to life at Queen's, but to Northern Ireland as a whole."

The University celebrated the 20th anniversary of the First Trust Bank Queen’s Graduate and Student of the Year Awards at the beginning of March, an event that Neo wasn’t able to make given the travel distance between the UK and China.

“It was great to be able to present Neo with his souvenir Award during my recent trip to China and Hong Kong,” said Stephen. “Queen’s clearly provided Neo with a solid management foundation and broadened his outlook and was certainly a crucial factor in him attaining the senior management role that he currently holds,” added Stephen.

For more on Queen’s graduate activities in China please contact the University’s Alumni Relations Engagement Officer Stephen O’Reilly on tel: +44 (0)28 9097 3135.

To submit graduate news items, or for general enquiries about this story, please contact Gerry Power, Communications Officer, Development and Alumni Relations Office, Queen's University Belfast or telephone: +44 (0)28 9097 5321.

Headline image by ken19991210 from Pixabay

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