{"id":51096,"date":"2025-07-23T09:00:52","date_gmt":"2025-07-23T01:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/?p=51096"},"modified":"2025-07-23T11:24:58","modified_gmt":"2025-07-23T03:24:58","slug":"class-of-2025-charting-new-skies-with-the-best-aerospace-thesis-winner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/cn\/stories\/class-of-2025-charting-new-skies-with-the-best-aerospace-thesis-winner\/","title":{"rendered":"Class of 2025 Spotlight: Charting New Skies with the Best Aerospace Thesis Winner"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Zhang Xiangyu, Graduate of the Class of 2025, MSc in Aerospace Engineering<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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As the Class of 2025 celebrates their academic achievements, we spotlight one of this year\u2019s winner for Best Thesis Award for the MSc in Aerospace Engineering, Zhang Xiangyu. His journey from childhood fascination to designing the future of flight is nothing short of inspiring.<\/p>

Growing up, Xiangyu was captivated by the skies, building model aircraft and immersing himself in documentaries about flight and exploration. But it was a high school visit to an airshow, where engineers discussed the next frontier in aviation, that crystallised his ambition: to create real-world aerospace solutions that are both innovative and sustainable.<\/p>

\u201cI\u2019ve always been intrigued by how things fly,\u201d he shares. \u201cWhen I saw drones and sustainable aviation technologies up close, I knew I wanted to be part of building the next generation of aircraft.\u201d<\/p>

That vision took flight at TUM Asia. Pursuing his master’s in Singapore, he found the perfect platform to marry theory with hands-on industry relevance, particularly in the emerging field of electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft.<\/p>

His academic journey was marked by rigorous learning, moments of challenge, and steady perseverance. \u201cSome of the courses were difficult,\u201d he admits. \u201cBut discussing concepts with classmates and professors really helped me get through.\u201d<\/p>

Courses taught by Prof. Florian Holzapfel such as Flight Mechanics<\/em>, \u98de\u884c\u63a7\u5236\u7cfb\u7edf<\/em>, and Airworthiness<\/em>, proved especially transformative, sparking a deeper interest in the possibilities of eVTOL.<\/p>

His award-winning thesis, which explored the intersection of aerodynamics and machine learning, demonstrated not only his technical depth but his forward-thinking mindset. \u201cWeekly brainstorming sessions with my supervisor pushed me to think faster, adapt quickly, and embrace a \u2018fail fast, learn faster\u2019 approach.\u201d<\/p>

He attributes his success to one thing: consistency. \u201cI showed up for every lecture, asked questions, kept a learning journal\u2026 it wasn\u2019t just about studying hard, but staying genuinely curious.\u201d<\/p>

Today, Xiangyu is applying that same energy as an Aerodynamics Design Engineer at AutoFlight, a leading company in the eVTOL space. His current work blends sustainability with advanced flight design, helping redefine how people might travel in urban environments in the near future.<\/p>

\u201cIn five years, I hope to be leading a team that\u2019s designing the next generation of eVTOLs. Urban air mobility is no longer science fiction, it\u2019s an engineering challenge we\u2019re solving today.\u201d<\/p>

Beyond technical expertise, he says the most valuable skills he\u2019s gained are systems thinking and adaptability, essential traits in a field that crosses boundaries between AI, sustainability, and mechanical design.<\/p>

Studying in Singapore was also a life-enriching experience. \u201cI loved the multicultural environment. Sharing ideas and experiences with classmates from all over the world helped me expand my worldview,\u201d he reflects. Weekend nature getaways around Southeast Asia became his favourite way to recharge.<\/p>

A quote that\u2019s guided him recently?
\u201cStrive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.\u201d<\/em><\/p>

His dream? \u201cI\u2019ve never been to Germany,\u201d he says with a smile. \u201cBut as a TUM graduate, I\u2019d love to visit one day and see where it all started.\u201d<\/p>

What would he tell incoming students? \u201cDon\u2019t just chase grades. Be curious. Join activities, pursue internships, and ask for help. Engineering is collaborative, someone else might have the insight you need.\u201d<\/p>

He adds, \u201cOne thing I wish I knew earlier is that iteration is everything. Every mistake isn\u2019t a failure, it\u2019s data for the next breakthrough.\u201d<\/p>

Congratulations to Xiangyu and the entire Class of 2025, your flight path is just beginning.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As the Class of 2025 celebrates, we spotlight the winner of the Best Thesis Award in MSc Aerospace Engineering, whose journey from childhood fascination to future flight design is truly inspiring.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":51102,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-51096","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nTUM Asia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Celebrating the Class of 2025, we spotlight one of this year\u2019s winner for Best Thesis Award for the MSc in Aerospace Engineering.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/cn\/stories\/class-of-2025-charting-new-skies-with-the-best-aerospace-thesis-winner\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"zh_CN\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Class of 2025 Spotlight: Charting New Skies with the Best Aerospace Thesis Winner - 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