{"id":54844,"date":"2026-02-10T14:57:38","date_gmt":"2026-02-10T06:57:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/?p=54844"},"modified":"2026-02-10T15:13:20","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T07:13:20","slug":"meet-yao-our-tum-asia-alumnus-and-phd-researcher","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/cn\/stories\/meet-yao-our-tum-asia-alumnus-and-phd-researcher\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet Yao – Our TUM Asia Alumnus and PhD Researcher"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Yao, PhD student at TUM Asia (second from the right)<\/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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Mapping disruptions. Building Resilience. Bridging Systems <\/i><\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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What\u2019s your research about, in a sentence?<\/strong><\/p>

Yao studies how disruptions ripple across complex urban logistics systems, from pandemics to port shutdowns and is building a predictive model to stop cascading failures in their tracks.<\/p>

What inspired this research?<\/strong><\/p>

The global logistics chaos of COVID-19 and that infamous Suez Canal blockage, sparked Yao\u2019s obsession with how minor disruptions escalate into global breakdowns. With his background in engineering and systems analysis, urban logistics became the perfect field to explore uncertainty, resilience, and real-world complexity.<\/p>

Real-world impact<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

By blending statistical learning, systems theory, and transport data, Yao\u2019s research provides insights for policymakers, city planners, and\u00a0logistics\u00a0firms on early-warning signals and smarter infrastructure design.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

What\u2019s\u00a0next after the PhD?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Yao hopes to work at the intersection of research and practice,\u00a0building predictive analytics for infrastructure or even teaching. \u201cWhether in policy or academia, I want to help systems thrive under complexity.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Yao graduated from TUM’s Master of Science in Rail, Transport and Logistics. Learn more about him \u6b64\u5904<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\u201cThe goal? Smarter, more resilient transport systems that can anticipate problems before they become crises.\u201d <\/i><\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>

\u00a0 \u00a0Most enjoyed about Singapore:<\/strong><\/p>

  • Diversity, infrastructure, and (of course) the food.<\/strong><\/em><\/li><\/ul>

    \u00a0 \u00a0Unwinding rituals:<\/strong><\/p>

    • Bookstore walks, ambient jazz, specialty teas, meditation, and\u2026 lifting weights.<\/strong><\/em><\/li><\/ul>

      \u00a0 \u00a0Favourite quote:<\/strong><\/p>

      • \u201cMan is nothing else but what he makes of himself.\u201d \u2014 Jean-Paul Sartre. A reminder for Yao that systems, like identities, are built with intent.<\/strong><\/em><\/li><\/ul>

        \u00a0 \u00a0Fun fact:<\/strong><\/p>

        • Yao lost 10kg in three months by turning weight loss into a personal optimisation experiment.<\/strong><\/em><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\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":"

          Meet Yao, a TUM Asia alumnus and PhD researcher. Discover his current research focus and what\u2019s next as he prepares for life after his PhD.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":51133,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-54844","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nTUM Asia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Meet Yao, a TUM Asia alumnus and PhD researcher. 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