Dr Yixiang Xu
Associate Professor in Aircraft Design and Performance
Yixiang Xu, an Associate Professor at School of Aerospace, also a pianist and a lover of Classic Music and Shakespeare’s play. With such perfect combination of rational and emotional characteristics in one person, we cannot help to explore his way towards an academic/engineering/pianist/consultant.
Yixiang received his doctoral degree from the University of Cambridge in 2007 and has expertise in the area of numerical and experimental study of light weight mechanical systems and new materials, e.g. deployable actuators, thin composites, including advanced space structures as well as design and analysis of infrastructure, e.g. portal frame and web crippling.
After graduating from Cambridge, he had been working as a professional engineer in the London and later he worked in several universities as lecturer. Surprisingly, he had also been a concert pianist and freelance musician in the UK for more than 15 years.
He said, the immersion with piano and classic music from his childhood has a profound impact on his research. First, keep practicing piano in a long time makes him more patient and focused. In another way, Yixiang also believes that art is vital to the study of science. As Albert Einstein once said “the greatest scientist are artists as well.” Yixiang is heading his way towards it.
It is a very time consuming work, like practicing piano, so does the research. I know that maybe 80% of the time I spent in the lab today is wasted because I may not able to get the result. However, we still need to keep invest time in it and become even more patient about it. That’s how the piano experience helps me in doing the research now.
Yixiang plays a very good role as a teacher in the university. He teaches Aerospace Statics and Dynamics, Aircraft Design and Performance, Computer Modelling Techniques modules for Aerospace Engineering students. In the class, his clear logical thinking and gentle temperament left a deep impression on students.
Talking about his suggestion to the application of master and PhD study, he shared with us his education experience. He obtained his B.Eng at the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Shanghai Jiao Tong University in 2002. Subsequently, he carried out research in shell and inflatable membrane structures in Deployable Structures Lab (DSL) at University of Cambridge and received the doctoral degree in 2007.
At the beginning of the 21st century, when the digital communication channel was not as popular or accessible as nowadays, Yixiang was really active and proactive in doing the research of his interested topics and reaching to the academics in his dream school. He suggested to his students that “Don’t be shy. As an academic, I personally very welcome students to directly talk with me about their interested research topics. Through this way, the supervisor could have more understanding of the applicant’s academic background and if the research topic really suits the student.”
Especially when students applying the postgraduate research programmes in overseas universities, an agreed research proposal is highly valued. Students should also take initiative and think about the research area in their communication with potential supervisors.
Yixiang believes that aerospace engineering students should not limit their career in the aircraft manufacturing. The knowledge they learnt in the school can be applied into many areas. As a big fan of classical music and a pianist, he came up with a very interesting example. The composite material for aerospace can also be used to produce the keyboard of piano. Those who are interested in programming can also be a programmer in the future. As the first batch of Aerospace Engineering students at the UNNC have graduated in this July, Yixiang wish everyone always remember “There’s no limit to what you can do if you keep believing in yourself.”