Statement of Purpose(Mechanical Engineering)

Mechanical engineering is the foundation of industry. It plays a key role in the national economy. It’s broad field including general engineering, aeronautical, chemical and nuclear engineering, etc. Provides a sufficient room of choices for me to realize the dream of becoming a scientist or a mechanical engineer. It was with this fact in mind that I decided to choose mechanical engineering as the major field of study for both undergraduate and graduate career at Tsinghua University.

During nearly eight years of study at Tsinghua University, I completed a total of 47 courses in undergraduate study, 14 courses in graduate study. The major courses that interested me most included: Theoretical Mechanics, Strength of Materials, Elasticity and Plasticity Mechanical Analysis of Plastic Deformation Processes, Theory of Metal Forming, Computer Language and Programming, Mechanical Design, etc… After graduation, I entered the First Heaby Machinery Works (in northeast of China). During this period, I became familiar with the design and manufacturing of some heavy machines, thus furthering my interest in mechanical engineering. At the same time, I found that many good ideas of design could not be put into existence because of the backwardness in raw material quality and processing techniques. This fact impelled the related areas and me to concentrate my research interest on materials science and processing. Through careful survey, I selected a subject about the quality control of heavy disc forging and took it as my research subject for master degree. After over tow years of investigation, I finally made a great innovation in the forging process, making the end product rate increase from 50% to 90%. In the course of investigation and my later working after graduate study, I also found some problems that are common in mechanical industry. For example, how do cracks in products during hot metal working generate and develop? How to avoid cracks? How do non-metallic inclusions affect the properties of materials? How to control the content, shape and distribution of inclusions in final products? Solution to these problems will improve the quality of many kinds of products. But they are often difficult to be solved because they include knowledge of many disciplines and require many new research methods. I feel that what I have learned is far from sufficient to tackle all the problems. Thus I have decided to continue my education by pursuing a doctoral degree in mechanical engineering in a highly industrialized country like the United States.

I plan to complete my degree objective I 3 to 5 year and hope that I will be able to further my knowledge I areas including Solid Mechanics, Materials Science and Processes, CAD/CAM, etc… After completing my graduate study, I will return to contribute my learning to my country. I plan to work as a researcher of a teacher at an institute or a university.