Dr. Xiaoli Chu is a Lecturer in Electronic & Electrical Engineering at the University of Sheffield.
With a research focus on wireless communications, Xiaoli designs wireless networks and technologies to connect to machines and devices without human involvement - in a way that can improve the living quality for people and provide support for connecting a society.
From China to Sheffield
Following a bachelor's degree in Engineering from Xi'an Jiaotong University in China and then a PhD degree at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology - Dr. Xiaoli Chu took her first engineering role at Kings College London as a Research Fellow. But it was the outstanding Engineering department at the University of Sheffield that led to her move to the city in 2012.
“I moved to Sheffield because the Engineering Faculty is bigger, stronger and one of the largest - so I chose Sheffield so that I could have an even better environment to focus on my engineering research,” she says.
Working at the forefront of engineering technology
“The best thing about being an engineer to me is the involvement in innovation and technology development and the research in our mobile networks. We get involved in the most pioneering technology. For example, a few years ago people were using 3G networks and after that time we started researching 4G technology. Now that operators are selling their 4G networks, we are doing research on 5G and even beyond this technology. Although I look forward to working on this new technology a few years in advance of everybody else, it’s the excitement involved in technology development and innovation to me that is the best part of being an engineer,” she exclaims.
Female engineers enjoy great careers at University of Sheffield
The University of Sheffield aims to be the number one place for women to study and work in engineering. Its Women in Engineering team is dedicated to increasing the numbers of female staff and student engineers and following recent promotions, 10.6 per cent of the professors in the Faculty of Engineering are female, significantly higher than the national average of six per cent.
Listed as one of the best not-for-profit organisations to work for in the UK by The Sunday Times, and the only university to make the list - this highly regarded ranking shows that the University is an organisation where talented staff from all over the world are given a platform to succeed and become leaders in their fields.
The University also holds a Best Companies two star accreditation status which recognises outstanding levels of employee engagement at the institution.
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Disclosure: Where Women Work researches and publishes insightful evidence about how its paid member organizations support women's equality.