When each new Harvard-China Project researcher steps foot off the plane at Logan Airport, they are likely already acquainted with postdoctoral fellow Dr. Haiyang Lin. Even from nearly 7,000 miles away, Haiyang serves as a mentor to those in his home country, connecting with them via the texting app WeChat to make sure they are prepared for their arrival. This mentorship goes beyond his role as a scholar who focuses on the planning and design of renewable energy systems. And for Haiyang, this counsel doesn’t conclude the moment they are appointed a desk in Pierce Hall; he enjoys collaborating with each fellow during their tenure in Cambridge. “We are all from different backgrounds, with diverse research interests, and I enjoy exchanging ideas with our fellows,” explains Haiyang. “They know things I don’t, and vice versa, so sharing this knowledge is very important to me.”
As one of the earliest members in his group at Shandong University, Haiyang made it his mission to aid others in their scholarship. During his doctoral work, he worked closely with more than five masters students and two Ph.D candidates, offering critical insights and suggestions for their research and graduation. As Haiyang generously shared his knowledge and time, he too benefited immensely from this culture of collaboration and mutual support. He published more than 10 papers on integrated energy system optimization before he got his PhD degree. All of his efforts earned him the prestigious Research Star award at Shandong University, given to the top 10 achievers in a university of around 50,000 students.
It was during his undergraduate studies that he met Ronald Wennersten, a professor in industrial ecology at Shandong University, and his academic path pivoted. Growing up in Shouguang, China – the hometown of vegetables – Haiyang had an initial interest in engineering because it was “easier to find a job” for a student from a rural area like his. Haiyang embarked on what he says is more of a “traditional” career path in thermal power engineering; however, after learning about Professor Wennersten’s green energy expertise, Haiyang realized that renewable energy systems and their corresponding interdisciplinary nature captivated him.
With the connections of Professor Wennersten, Haiyang accepted a visiting Ph.D position in Sweden – and it was this international experience that eventually catapulted him to the Harvard-China Project. “Before Sweden, I focused a lot on publications. But when I came to Sweden, people were interested in why I was doing this – what drives me to study this as my career,” explains Haiyang. “After that, I thought, I need to visit more places and try to figure out my research goal.”
Haiyang came across the Harvard-China Project when searching for a location heavy on interdisciplinary studies. “The cross collaboration attracted me the most; that aspect is particularly unique and also particularly difficult to find at other places,” he says. He was in touch with Professor Michael McElroy, chair of the Harvard-China Project, and Chris Nielsen, executive director. Now, four years after that initial contact, Haiyang is embarking on another year of research as a postdoc, and teaching climate and atmospheric sciences classes with Prof. McElroy. He gives both Chris and Mike credit for influencing his research at the Harvard-China Project, saying, “Mike is very good at guiding people around him, and I benefit a lot from his brilliant ideas. Chris is helpful all the time, and when I first arrived, I didn’t have a topic to investigate, so Chris helped me build connections and find my role in the team.”
Haiyang currently works to evaluate and optimize green fuel supply chains – particularly how that interacts with the grid and decarbonizes hard to abate sectors. “Our fundamental work is on renewable power generation – even if we study hydrogen or biofuels, we are supporting the integration of renewable power as the key demand.” He began by doing distributive studies for small systems like buildings or communities, and is currently tackling big systems like provinces, states and countries. His recent paper, forthcoming, explores Texas’ transition from a carbon emitter to a green hydrogen exporter. His research experience has covered the decarbonization transition for China, India, the US and most recently, Namibia, a southern Africa country positioning itself as a regional leader in renewable power and green hydrogen. Ultimately, he says that coordinating both the supply side and demand side, to connect and regulate them in a cleaner and more efficient manner, drives his focus.
Looking ahead, Haiyang envisions a future working with students as a professor. “The best part of academia is that you’re always learning from young, talented people who have cutting-edge new ideas,” he explains. “I hope research will be my whole life – I want to learn new things and be helpful … that is the most exciting part of life’s journey.”
By Kellie Nault, Harvard-China Project