Eva Li (Yutong)
Eva joined the University of Auckland through the postgraduate articulation programme with Northeast Forestry University (NEFU) of China. Having completed three years of undergraduate study at NEFU, she is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Biological Sciences at the University of Auckland.
Eva's experience as an international student at the University of Auckland has been overwhelmingly positive. She acknowledges the academic rigour but appreciates the support she has received. "Although the courses are hard, I have learned much. The staff and lecturers are very supportive," she says.
As a Transnational Education (TNE) student, the bilingual foundation she built during her undergraduate studies was neceassary to help her to adjust the academic life here at the University. "One thing that really stood out to me was the bridging course. We mainly focused on biological knowledge, but the bridging course provided essential basics in computational biology. This was crucial for better connecting to postgraduate courses and discovering my true interests."
Eva's research at the University of Auckland is both challenging and rewarding. She is engaged in computational evolution research with Professor Alexei Drummond, focusing on accessing phylogenetic posteriors for single-cell sequencing tumour data. "I'm interested in software engineering and cancer evolution".
Eva encourages prospective students to consider the University of Auckland for both its academic and lifestyle benefits. "It’s a really nice place to study and live. It would be a good chance to think about what you want to do in the future and how research would be like," she advises.