From April to September 2019, I am very lucky to have the opportunity to come to Northumbria University for a five-month learning exchange. Northumbria University is one of the cooperative universities of China-EU Institute for Clean and Renewable Energy and one of the largest universities in Britain. It has always been a world leader in photocell and other fields. As a modern university, Northumbria University boasts world-class educational facilities and advanced experimental equipment. A sports center for students and a 24-hour library ensure that students can make full use of their time in campus. Northumbria University is located in Newcastle, a city in the northeast of England. The city has a simple and efficient subway network and a China town, where overseas students can relive their homesickness. Newcastle is also famous for its friendly residents, excellent shopping conditions and rich nightlife. It has been appraised as the cutest city in Britain.

Study and life in Northumbria University are very different from those in Huazhong University of Science and Technology. The daily working hours here are short and there are many holidays, but everyone is very efficient during the working hours. A special administrator will clean up the experimental instruments and desktop after we finish the experiments every day, but every experiment needs to be registered and licensed. Everyone in the research group is responsible for different fields, and we mostly rely on email for communication and discussion. When I first arrived in England, I was a little not adjusted to the life here. Fortunately, my European mentor Prof. Richard Fu is a learned and gentle-natured professor. He patiently taught me how to use the instrument, and took us around to be familiar with the life here. Of course, in the five months of studying and living in Newcastle, I also met a group of friends who were in a foreign land just like me. Weekend parties, dumplings made together, lake areas visited by self-driving……I think these wonderful moments will still shine in my heart even if I look back after many years.

On weekends and holidays, I also visited various cities in England to get a close look at the exotic customs and English culture. I visited many places, from London, an international metropolis where modern and classic coexist, Edinburgh, a fairy-tale beautiful and warm cultural capital, Windsor Castle, a magnificent royal palace, to Oxford and Cambridge, mysterious and ancient 100-year-old famous universities. At every place I went, I searched carefully for every detail in Harry Potter's magical world. In the vast fields and green forest cover, I experienced poetic pasture and English romance described by Jane Austen……

I sincerely thank the China-EU Institute for Clean and Renewable Energy for providing such an excellent platform and valuable opportunities, and my Chinese mentor for his full support and care for my visit. This exchange and study gave me the opportunity to go abroad and get in touch with, understand and learn about new energy technologies in foreign countries. It also opened my eyes and improved my comprehensive ability. I wish I could turn this study opportunity in British into a valuable experience on the road of my life. I will stay true to the mission, and overcome difficulties ahead. I also wish the China-EU Institute for Clean and Renewable Energy will be better and better, and more students will get more wonderful lives through the platform of China-EU Institute for Clean and Renewable Energy.