For the first time since 2018, the Harvard-China Project and the Mignone Center for Career Success funded eight weeks of undergraduate research at our partner universities in China. Shawn Mobley '26 and Anna MacLennan '25 worked with Professor Xi Lu at Tsinghua University; Millie-Mae Healy '24 was mentored by Professor Jintai Lin at Peking University; Julia Mansfield '25 and Justin Xu '25 worked under Professor Meng Gao at Hong Kong Baptist University. They shared their experiences in this edited transcript.
HCP: Can you share an overview of your project?
Shawn Mobley: Initially, the plan was for me to work on one project for all eight weeks of the program. However, I ultimately got to work on a couple different projects, which allowed me to explore different facets of quantitative environmental research. My [main] focus was on an ongoing project that my assigned Ph.D student, Ziwen, is in charge of. Her project analyzes life-cycle carbon emissions from wind power across provinces and regions in China. This project calculates life-cycle carbon emissions for every province and region in China and, critically, considers inter-provincial flows of materials. My role for this project was, and will continue to be, as an editor for the final report.
Anna MacLennan: This summer, I worked with one of Professor Lu’s amazing Ph.D students on a paper examining China’s potential pathways to carbon neutrality by 2060. It modeled different outcomes based on policy measures such as immediately phasing out coal power, lowering the cost of renewable energy sources, implementing carbon taxes, and combinations of those options. The research really helped evaluate the effects of those policies, such as their associated emissions reductions, electricity prices, etc.
Julia Mansfield: The fundamental goal of my research project was to explore the influence of fossil fuel emissions on precipitation trends in China. The key types of data I utilized were precipitation data taken from satellite measurements and pollution data measured on the ground by stations throughout China. I compared the trends that I observed in a more populated and industrialized eastern region of China with a region of the same size in western China. Both regions showed a decrease in sulfur dioxide pollution since 2013, and the eastern region has consistently remained more polluted as compared to the western region.
Justin Xu: This summer, I worked on a project that centered around analysis of the frequency of drought occurrences. By looking at historical data as well as predictive models of soil moisture, I was able to explore the changes in the rate of flash droughts in different geographic areas around the world.
Millie Mae: My research project involved investigating NOx emissions around the world between 2018-2021. I was given a lot of freedom to decide what to pursue so I largely focused on areas in China and America I have visited pre-covid.
HCP: How did the HCP overseas collaborators contribute to your experience?
Anna MacLennan: It was fantastic to meet Professor Lu and his Ph.D students! Not only were they incredibly kind and welcoming, but they also went out of their way to engage with us and to help us navigate our time in China.
Julia Mansfield: Dr. Meng Gao mentored me throughout the duration of the project. He was very helpful in guiding me towards resources that were asking similar questions to the ones I would be exploring, so I was able to learn from the work of others. He answered my questions and trusted me to work through many problems on my own.
HCP: What was most rewarding?
Shawn Mobley: The most rewarding aspect of my research was reading through the first major section of the paper I edited once it had gotten approved by Prof. Lu. With each re-read beforehand, the ideas were starting to flow much more nicely, and progress on the whole was steadily being made. After so many rounds of revisions, it truly started to feel like I’d meaningfully contributed to the creation of real academic work.
Julia Mansfield: The most rewarding aspect of my research was seeing the
questions that I posed at the beginning of the summer be represented in easily read and interesting graphs by the end of my time in Hong Kong. Seeing the framework of the research be populated with concrete results is a super gratifying feeling.
Justin Xu: What was most rewarding was coming into the project as a mechanical engineering concentrator — that is, having no prior experience in computational earth science work — and applying and honing skills that are widely applicable across all science and engineering disciplines.
HCP: What were your overall thoughts about international research?
Shawn Mobley: The opportunity to spend two months in China at this moment in history is truly remarkable, especially as I was able to actually collaborate with Chinese scholars on international issues of ever-increasing importance. Between the political tensions, the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the pressing nature of the global environmental crisis, I believe this experience came to me at an incredibly critical time and presented me with the unique possibilities few have ever had or will ever have.
Justin Xu: Researching in one of the densest cities in the world, Hong Kong, certainly provided a constant reminder of human impacts on the climate. Overall, researching internationally provided an effective cultural exchange that brought new perspectives to the research that would not have otherwise been possible.
HCP: What was most memorable part for you?
Shawn Mobley: For me, as an avid user of public transportation wherever I go, the incredible high-speed trains, subway systems, and shared bikes all throughout the country stand out to me the most.
Anna MacLennan: Alongside my academic research this summer, I was able to track down some of my own Chinese family history and then solo-traveled to Guangzhou and Jiangmen, two cities in southern China where my grandmother grew up.
Julia Mansfield: One of my favorite things that I did during my time in Hong Kong was take the ferry to a small Island called Cheung Chau. I went twice throughout the summer because I loved it so much! On one small island you can swim at an incredible beach, go on a hike around the island, and have delicious food including mango mochi, red bean buns (which they are famous for), and fresh seafood.
Justin Xu: I really enjoyed Hong Kong’s nature and food. So many trails—including one aptly named “Dragon’s Back” located along the ridge of a hill—were located within a short public transportation ride from the downtown area. Julia and I thoroughly enjoyed hiking and exploring the different parks and islands of Hong Kong. Each new park, of course, also brought new food experiences.
