(interviewed in 2023)

Dagmar Möbius

Chenghao Dai is a PhD student at the Chair of Production Economy and Information Technology at the International Institute (IHI) Zittau. The 26-year-old industrial engineer sat down with KONTAKT to talk about what motivated him to return to Germany, why and where he still has a second position as a research and teaching associate, what he plans to do after completing his doctorate, and also why he especially likes snow.

“My research has only just begun,” Chenghao Dai says modestly. Since May 2023, he has been a PhD student at the Chair of Production Economy and Information Technology at IHI Zittau.

“It’s obvious that I’m from China,” Chenghao Dai says as he introduces himself. He may be sitting in 36-degree heat, but he has nonetheless opted for the snowy background for the video call. One of TU Dresden's many university buildings is also visible in the snowscape. He doesn’t know which one it is exactly. But he has a predilection for winter and snow. “I like my peace and quiet, and where I come from, it doesn’t snow very often.”

More of a strategist than an operator

“Germany is my home away from home.” Chenghao Dai lost no time completing a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Engineering between 2014 and 2018, directly after graduating from high school. During an internship at a Volkswagen subsidiary in China, he heard about the Department of Simulation and Modeling for Production and Logistics at the University of Kassel. It was here that he completed his Master’s degree in Economics and Engineering from 2018 to 2020. He then returned to China and worked as a supply chain planner for a British company in the area of Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG). FMCG refers to goods such as confectionery, soft drinks, energy drinks, cleaning products, cosmetics, over-the-counter medicines or dietary supplements. “I realized that operational work was not really my thing, and that I was more interested in the innovative approach to supply chain management,” he says. “Which is why I ended up looking for a research position in Germany.”

A full CV

He found and successfully applied for two part-time positions as a research and teaching associate – one at the International Institute in Zittau and the other at the Fraunhofer Institute for Factory Operation and Automation (IFF). Having good organizational skills is a must. Chenghao Dai works at the Cottbus office of the IFF in Magdeburg from Monday until noon on Wednesday, and at the Chair of Production Economy and Information Technology in Zittau or Dresden from Wednesday afternoon until Friday. “It provides the ideal mix of life experience and research, and the infrastructure is really good,” the 26-year-old says enthusiastically. He’s aware that he’s still a relatively young PhD student. “I don’t have any gaps in my CV,” he smiles.

He decided to learn German at the Goethe Institute after beginning his second year of undergraduate study. “Qingdao is a former German colony. It looks like a typical German city, there is even a prison museum that you can visit,” he says. He also mentions that he passed his German exam after three years and on his third try.

Dead set on a doctorate

The name Chenghao means determination, self-discipline and politeness. Chenghao Dai knows what he wants. Nevertheless, it wasn’t easy for him to return to Germany after starting his career. During his Master’s degree, he met his wife here, who is also from China. She now works as a German teacher at a municipal school in Guangzhou. “I had made the decision to do my current research stay a long time ago. I want to do something that I’m really passionate about,” says the PhD student. The young couple has taken it upon themselves to meet at least once per year.

Chenghao Dai hopes to use the project results from tests at the Fraunhofer institute to develop research questions for his doctoral thesis. Even though the 26-year-old still sees himself in the orientation phase, his choice of topic has more or less been made. He will look closely at the resilience value network, because, as a supply chain planner, he has experienced a lot of diverse supply chain disruptions that resulted during the pandemic. There are still a number of questions to be answered.

Professional and personal plans

After completing his PhD, Chenghao Dai would like to return to China and work in industrial consulting. Also: “I am an only child in my family so I have to take care of my parents.”

He especially finds the “nature very beautiful and the people nice” here in Dresden, Germany. “It's not that easy to become close friends with someone.”

Contact:
TUD Dresden University of Technology
International Institute (IHI) Zittau
Chair of Production Economy and Information Technology
Mr. Chenghao Dai