When Huawei launched Yinyuejia (音悦家), its first self-developed music creation app, on 1 June, one of the key figures behind the product was Li Zhenhao, a 2020 graduate of the University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC).
As R&D Project Manager at Huawei’s 2012 Laboratories, Li led the development and delivery of the app’s AI-powered features, helping bring to market a product that combines professional music production tools, AI-assisted creation capabilities and a digital library of traditional Chinese instruments. The launch has been widely recognised as an important milestone for China’s creative technology ecosystem.
What makes Li’s story particularly remarkable is his unconventional career path. A graduate of UNNC’s Mechanical Engineering programme, he later pursued a master’s degree in Marine Engineering at the University of Oxford before moving into AI research and development at Huawei. Within just a few years, he had progressed into a leadership role at one of the world’s leading technology companies.
Li credits much of his success to the skills he developed during his time at UNNC.
“The ability to learn independently, work effectively with others, communicate clearly and solve problems systematically are all skills I developed at UNNC,” he said.
He highlights the University’s small-class teaching approach, collaborative learning environment and emphasis on critical thinking as key factors in preparing him for a rapidly changing professional landscape. Regular group projects helped him develop teamwork and leadership skills, while close interaction with academic staff encouraged intellectual curiosity and independent thinking.
During his studies, Li also benefited from UNNC’s global education model, completing part of his degree at the University of Nottingham in the UK. There, he participated in interdisciplinary research projects that strengthened his research capabilities and broadened his academic horizons—experiences that would later support both his postgraduate studies at Oxford and his career development.
For prospective students, Li’s journey demonstrates how a UNNC education equips graduates not only with subject knowledge, but also with the adaptability, critical thinking and global outlook needed to succeed across disciplines and industries. From engineering to AI innovation, and from UNNC to one of the world’s leading technology companies, his story reflects the transformative opportunities that a global education can create.
Published on 02 June 2026