VOLLEYBALL

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Teamwork always comes first.

When I was an undergraduate and a master student, I was a member of the volleyball school team in NTU. My major position is outside-hitter, opposite, and libero. Although I'm not a member of the team anymore after graduation, volleyball still plays a very important role in my daily life.

The most important thing that defines this sport is teamwork. Any moment, any point in a game requires close and active communications among all the team members. In addition, any movement in a game could have instantaneous and significant effects. Therefore, during a game, one has to calmly analyze and understand all the situations among the teammates and even the opponents. Furthermore, my experiences of playing volleyball, especially as an outside-hitter, equip me to handle high pressure in many aspects.

In short, teamwork, serenity, and renitency are what I learn from this sport. They are also very crucial for personality in doing research and in daily life.

MARATHON

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Before the finishing line...

Running is one of my interests as well. Since my first semi-marathon in 2013, I've attended one (full-)marathon (42.195km) and more than 10 semi-marathons (21km) till now. This habit helps me keep fit, stay healthy, and relax.

For me, I enjoy my running time during which I can freely communicate with and listen to myself. I enjoy the landscapes, the views, and the moment. Sometimes I even talk to myself, think about the ongoing projects and all the daily stuffs. It could be the moment that neat ideas come out.

What I learn from running is perhaps the persistence. I know how hard it could be to keep running for more than 5 or 6 hours and, in order not to give up, it definitely requires a very strong will of crossing the finishing line. Doing research, or more precisely, the whole academic career, is like a marathon. In this career, nothing is more important than persistence in order to move forward.

The guy on the left is my french friend Fabien Nugier, who was a postdoc fellow in LeCosPA when I was a Ph.D. student. This picture was taken in 2018, after we finished a semi-marathon held in Yilan.