Wang Haigang: Armless Doctoral Student

Wang Haigang: Armless Doctoral Student

In the high-stakes world of quantum (量子) information, I precision is everything. For 29-year-old doctoral candidate(博士生) Wang Haigang, that precision doesn't come from his hands, but from his feet.

Wang Haigang studies in a quiet lab at Taiyuan University of Technology. He does difficult computer work and writes English research papers with his right foot on the mouse and his left foot on the keyboard (键盘). He recently got the university's top prize—the President's Scholarship (校长奖学金).

Wang's journey began with a childhood tragedy (悲剧). At the age of 8, he lost both arms in an accident. Although he suffered a lot, he decided to live on his own.

He kept practising. With his family's help, he had mastered writing neat characters with his toes by the end of that summer.

Wang often studied until the early hours. His legs and stomach hurt because he bent (弯腰) over and sat for a long time. Gradually, he became interested in math, which gave him joy and direction in learning.

In 2015, he went to university. In 2020, he studied for a master's degree in math at Taiyuan University of Technology and was named one of the Stars of Self-reliant Chinese University Students.

Wang records his daily life online: turning on the lights with his shoulder (肩) and making his bed with his feet. He does well in his studies. He also likes singing, eating hot pot and playing computer games.