Xu Yinhui, a doctoral student from Southeast University, returns from Antarctica. [Photo/Southeast University]

A doctoral student at Southeast University has returned from Antarctica after more than five months of fieldwork with China's 42nd Antarctic expedition, highlighting the university's growing role in polar research and talent development.

Born in 1999, Xu Yinhui is the youngest team member SEU has sent to the polar region to date. During the 41st expedition, he contributed to the development of an unmanned observation device that has since entered trial operation. By collecting multi-sensor fusion data, the system provides critical support for spatial perception in polar unmanned systems.

Over the past 16 years, SEU has dispatched 12 researchers to Antarctica. Another doctoral student, Li Dongze, has been nominated as a wintering candidate for China's 43rd Antarctic expedition. If selected, he will depart in November and become the first member of SEU's team to overwinter on the continent.

In August 2025, SEU signed a cooperation agreement with the Polar Research Institute of China. The partnership has introduced a dual-mentor system, pairing academic supervisors with frontline experts from the institute to provide hands-on engineering guidance. Students are offered opportunities to join Antarctic expeditions during their studies and may receive priority placement in polar research roles after graduation.

The program also includes plans to develop courses focused on polar science and engineering, covering topics such as energy systems and unmanned equipment operation.

The first "Antarctic Classroom" is set to launch in late April, featuring live online sessions led by experts currently stationed in Antarctica, who will share real-world insights into equipment maintenance and troubleshooting.

Meanwhile, SEU is accelerating its efforts to build a land-based polar simulation facility. In collaboration with the city of Nantong, the university launched a pre-research project in 2024 to develop an extreme environment simulation platform.

The facility aims to replicate the kind of low temperatures, strong winds, and low-pressure conditions found in Antarctica, with the facility expected to become the world's largest of its kind. A prototype simulation chamber is scheduled for completion later this year.