Xu Yipeng, a 2026 Computer Science graduate, has filled his undergraduate years with research publications, competition awards and community leadership. "UNNC gave me not only knowledge, but also a group of people to grow with, and a space that encourages me to explore and experiment," he says.
His research achievements have been recognised at leading international venues. As first author, he published a paper on world models at the embodied AI workshop of the Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems (NeurIPS). Another paper, focusing on aquaponics data prediction, was presented at the IEEE International Conference on Computers, Software, and Applications (COMPSAC). He also co‑authored a paper on open‑world object counting presented at International Conference on Multimedia and Expo (ICME), and contributed to a fluid dynamics study published in a leading academic journal. His academic standing led to invitations to serve as a reviewer for ICME 2025 and the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) 2026.
In competitions, Xu won two First Prizes in the prestigious Mathematical Contest in Modeling (MCM), placing among the top 7% of participants worldwide. He later transitioned into a coach role, and this year one of the teams he mentored received a Finalist nomination, an honour awarded to only 1% of participants.
In 2025, he led an all‑undergraduate team to develop a time‑series AI model for predicting thermal runaway in electric vehicle batteries, securing the national grand prize – a first for UNNC. "When I told other contestants that my team consisted entirely of undergraduates, they were genuinely surprised," he recalls.
Beyond academics, Xu co‑founded the university’s archery club, led the astronomy society, served as a peer listener and volunteered for student recruitment activities over several years. He credits UNNC with providing access to computing resources, industry connections and a collaborative culture. "Some universities are competitive in a narrow way. At UNNC, we place greater emphasis on collaboration and supporting one another."
This autumn, Xu will begin a master's degree in Data‑Intensive Science at Cambridge. His advice to prospective students is simple: "If you have a plan and a passion, UNNC is a great choice. There are few formal constraints, giving you the freedom to focus on what truly matters."
Published on 24 August 2026