Principal Consultant at Lloyd's Register 
M.Sc. Marine Technology, 1997-1999
Dr.ing. Marine Technology 1999-2003

It’s more than 20 years since he came to Norway and NTNU for the first time, but Chen still remains devoted to his NTNU identity. He visits NTNU regularly and assists several Ph.D students, and lately, he’s made an even stronger connection between himself and NTNU, as vice chair of the NTNU Alumni chapter, China. The mandate of the chapter is to link NTNU with business and society in China in order to enhance cooperation and contribute to NTNU’s vision “Knowledge for a better world”. Together with his fellow board members, this international chapter is really leading the way. 

First of all, what is your current job position and how was your way out into working life? 

With a finished degree from NTNU, work life was very accessible. I was immediately hired in a Norwegian company, Scandpower, located in Oslo. It was actually love at first sight. Scandpower and I were a perfect match, both professionally and geographically. I had done just the right research within risk management, and they were setting up an office in Beijing and needed people there. This meant that I had the opportunity to transfer back to China, which I wanted on the long run. In 2010, Scandpower became a part of Lloyd Register. After working for years on various management positions as country and regional managers in Asia, I decided to focus on technology and now work as a principal consultant for technical matters. 

What was it about NTNU that made you travel to the other side of the world for your education? 

NTNU (or NTH as it was back then) had a cooperation agreement with the university where I initially was studying. I did my bachelor in naval architecture and marine engineering at the Shanghai Jiao Tong University between 1993 and 1997. In the autumn of 96, I was about to graduate, and I saw a fax posted on the wall – a call for applicants to do an international master at NTNU. I saw that I fit the conditions, and my head started to spin immediately. I had to apply! Also, I’ve heard that the father away from home you go, the bigger the momentum of happiness. It was a high competition to get admission, but as one of the top ten students at my department in the university, I made it! 

What is the best part of your job – and what is the most challenging?  

The best part is working as a consultant, to help clients solve their problems. All clients deal with different problems, face different risks and are involved in different supply chains. Our job is to design risk reduction, give advises and provide insight in complex cases and situations. It is very rewarding to help people solve problems. It’s a driving force for happiness. The challenge is that I don’t have unlimited time resources to solve the problems. It’s always a pressure and it means that I can only go so far, even though I know that with more time and resources, the results will be even better. It’s a challenge for me, because I’m very curious, and due to limitations, I have to hold back.  

What has been the most important skill you have obtained from NTNU?  

I liked all my courses at NTNU. They were so practical! I left the university 15 years ago, but what I learnt is still useful. The most important thing I learnt was a special mindset that I obtained while doing my Ph.D. and that is a special inner strength. Working on a Ph.D is like going through a dark tunnel. Never again will you be so puzzled, so blind. Once you have survived, you find the inner strength. Another thing I’ve learnt is how important it is to box the problem you are dealing with. It’s even more important than finding the solution!  

Finally, you are currently also a member of the board of NTNU Alumni China. What future aspirations do you have as a board member? 

I have not seen such alumni work in China – they are mostly focusing on the students. But I do believe that the alumni and the alumni networks are just as important in the project of creating “knowledge for a better world”. These chapters have a lot of potential, and can be the right vehicle, on the way to bridging the gap between the academia and the industry. The chapter provides a platform where people could communicate, share and collaborate. And with NTNU’s wide alumni network, we have great strength.