Editor's note: What is one thing about a PKU professor that has stayed with you? PKU students share a lesson, a memorable moment, or a piece of advice from a professor that has left a lasting impression on them, both in their studies and beyond.

Joy of discovery
Zhang Lifei, Professor, Dean of School of Earth and Space Science
Grigoreva Elizaveta, PhD Student, School of Earth and Space Sciences

My supervisor, Professor Zhang Lifei, Dean of the School of Earth and Space Sciences, travels the world collecting eclogites—rare, high-pressure metamorphic rocks. My favorite memory of him is from our fieldwork in the Southern Urals, where he used a sledgehammer to crack open heavy samples himself. The moment he held an eclogite, he smiled the happiest smile I'd ever seen on his face. Yet, as passionate as we all are about science, he taught us that the ultimate rule of any expedition is to make sure the entire team returns to Beijing safe and sound.

Commitment is key
Yang Chenlong, Associate Professor, Health Science Center
Moksada Regmi, Undergraduate Student, Health Science Center

Professor Yang never sleeps. At least, after years of working with him, I am still not entirely convinced he does. Watching that level of commitment taught me that being a good physician, and a good teammate, means being someone others can rely on. It means taking patients’ suffering personally, staying with a problem when the answer is not obvious, and following things through. More than anything, he showed me the kind of person I hope to become.

Dream big, stay humble 
Hai Wen, Professor, PHBS
Bence Tamás Weszely, Master's Student, HSBC Business School

As Professor Hai Wen said, "Dream big, yet keep your feet firmly on the ground." His words inspired me to take initiative in my life, to have the courage to act, to develop an entrepreneurial mindset, and to become a leader. Guided by this wisdom, I am soon launching my own clothing company in China.

Three abilities for Life
Shi Zengzhi, Professor, School of Journalism and Communication
Choong Xin Yun, Master's Student, School of Journalism and Communication

My favorite class last semester was Professor Shi Zengzhi’s Media and Social Change. Her lectures were never boring. She often steered us toward discussions about life itself, not just academics. Those conversations always sparked something in us, helping us understand ourselves better and envision who we want to become. What struck me most was her saying that in university, we must cultivate three essential abilities:
1. The ability to solve problems
2. The ability to love
3. The ability not to fall apart when facing setbacks

Edited by: Aneka Rebecca Rajbhandari
Photo credit: courtesy of interviewees