Over the weekend, Chuoze Li packed his belongings at Yungu Campus and moved to Yunqi Campus to join his faculty advisor Jijie Chai, a chair professor in the School of Life Sciences. For the next two weeks, he will immerse himself in lab meetings and hands-on experiments, an experience that sets Westlake University apart.

This short academic training is often an undergraduate's first deep encounter with research. Students join the independent laboratories of their faculty advisors, attend weekly meetings, and gain an early taste of both the exhilaration and frustration that define frontier science. For many, it marks the beginning of a four-year mentorship modeled after the Ph.D. supervisor–student relationship.

From the moment they set foot on campus, each undergraduate is invited to select a faculty advisor from a pool of more than 270 professors. Students rank seven preferences for their chosen advisor, who will guide their academic development throughout their undergraduate years.

We spoke with several students about how they found their mentors—and what they learned in the process.

Aim High When You Go for the Big Names

Securing a meeting with a preferred advisor can make all the difference. A face-to-face conversation not only leaves a strong impression but also allows both sides to assess compatibility beyond transcripts.

Although students did not simply crowd at the door of the most renowned professors, chair professors still dominated four of the top five spots on the advisor preference list.

"You have to be bold if you want a famous advisor!" said Haoming Wang. He noticed many classmates hesitated: They were drawn to distinguished faculty but worried they weren't competitive enough. Wang found that concern unnecessary. "I chose Professor Yaochu Jin. He didn't ask about my test results or academic ranking—we spoke about his research instead. He was really more curious about how genuinely interested I was."

Jin, chair professor and dean of the Department of Artificial Intelligence at the School of Engineering, was the first choice for many undergraduates. He set aside half a day to meet with candidates. After careful consideration, he decided to open an additional spot to accommodate exceptional applicants.

Sida Wu, from Guangdong, is passionate about AI. He scheduled meetings with leading AI researchers, including Yaochu Jin, Yue Zhang, Yefeng Zheng and Stan Z. Li, to get acquainted. Before each meeting, he carefully reviewed their publications and ongoing projects.

"I mostly asked questions out of curiosity, like what are the latest developments and the bottlenecks in AI research," Wu said. He also noticed that the professors weren't seeking students who already possessed knowledge. Instead, they were looking for those eager to learn.

While some worried they wouldn't make the cut, others were preoccupied that highly accomplished advisors might be too busy for undergraduates. Chuoze Li addressed this concern directly. Throughout his first semester, he visited Jijie Chai's office almost weekly. Chai consistently set aside time to answer Li's questions and offer guidance.

Keep an Open Mind When Choosing Younger Advisors

If chair professors dominated the top rankings, who claimed the remaining spot?

That would be faculty such as Ding Liu, who joined Westlake a month ago. While already known for his science communication on social media, his journey as a Ph.D. supervisor just started in August 2025.

Younger advisors often work on dynamic, cutting-edge topics, and the generation gap can feel minimal. Some are less than a decade older than their advisees.

Jie Yu chose Ding Liu, who also hails from Henan. She prepared questions for their first meeting, but the discussion quickly became natural and spontaneous. "I didn't worry whether my questions were too naïve," Yu said. "After all, I'm just a freshman."

Pingzhang Li made his choice on word-of-month recommendations. Chi Zhang, an assistant professor in the Department of Artificial Intelligence, was a popular choice among the undergraduates for not only his research but also his energetic presence at campus events. Li, on the other hand, is quiet and introverted. The two couldn't be more different.

Li heard about Zhang through his high school friend Yuheng Yang, who was Zhang's advisee the year before. Despite differences in personality, Li valued what he heard from Yang, that Zhang was generous with his time and deeply supportive.

Xinyu Wan, who is interested in material science and its industrial applications, made his choice early. After passing his interview last year, he connected with Rui Wang, an assistant professor in the School of Engineering whose research in perovskite solar cells bridges laboratory innovation and real-world industrialization.

At the beginning of the new semester, Wang invited Wan to his lab and walked him through the latest research projects with a special emphasis on their industrial applications. Their conversation felt mutual: As much as Wang evaluated Wan's potential, Wan assessed whether Wang's vision aligned with his own pursuits.

Think Outside the Box when Choosing a Foreign Advisor

Qiheng Jin took a different path by choosing Thierry de Pauw, a mathematics professor from Brussels who specializes in measure theory.

Jin's choice surprised many: Discussing advanced mathematics entirely in English sounds daunting.

However, Jin's background at Wenzhou High School, renowned for cultivating mathematicians, had already prepped him for this.

Encouraged by Huayi Chen, a chair professor in mathematics, to consider a foreign advisor if language was not a barrier, Jin embraced the challenge.

To his surprise, de Pauw scheduled three meetings in their two months and recommended supplementary readings such as the American Mathematical Monthly. The mentorship quickly proved both rigorous and attentive.

The Advisors' Perspective

Across the stories, one theme stands out: initiative matters. Taking the time to engage in genuine conversation is often the key to a satisfying match, both for advisors and advisees.

"Personally, I prefer students with curiosity," said Yaochu Jin. "A solid foundation is important, but I value more whether they have a clear sense of their interests."

Ding Liu described his approach as intuitive. "Let's see if we hit it off scientifically." He preferred discussions that resembled thoughtful debates, where students express their passion and original thinking.

Some advisors also used online questionnaires to get a sense of students beyond grades. Questions ranged from long-term goals to hobbies and personal habits.

Yuliang Xiu from the Department of Artificial Intelligence included questions such as "What's your take on your personal future and that of the world?" "Do you have any long-term hobbies or physical pursuits?" "If your interest is in computer games, please share your hours spent and level reached." He has only one request: Be honest.

After careful consideration, Jie Yu chose Ding Liu as her first choice. She was struck not only by his academic vision but also his perspective on balance and well-being. "Academic interest is important," she said, "but advisors also shape our values and lifestyle."

Four years may be just one stage in a lifelong pursuit of science, yet having a mentor to guide that journey is invaluable. A good advisor teaches students to respect knowledge and uncertainty alike, to embrace both joy and frustration, and to grow through mistakes and changes.

At Westlake, undergraduates are encouraged to chart their own course from the very beginning. Faculty advisors are not merely supervisors; they are companions in the discovery, helping students take their first confident steps into the unknown.