Eman Yasser Hussein Gaballa is a 24-year-old postgraduate student from Egypt studying at Jiangsu University. [Photo/Jiangsu University]

While the summer break is in full swing, research has continued uninterrupted in the laboratories of Jiangsu University's National Research Center of Pumps.

For Eman Yasser Hussein Gaballa, a 24-year-old postgraduate student from Egypt, the holiday has meant more time in the lab working on centrifugal pumps. Her research focuses on how solid particles interact with liquid flows and cause wear inside pumps.

Yasser's interest in studying in China began long before she arrived. Her father, an engineer, often spoke about China's technological advances, inspiring her dream of pursuing further education there.

The research comes with significant challenges. One experience from the winter of 2023 remains particularly memorable for Yasser. To identify the point at which pump performance deteriorates dramatically, her research team spent more than two weeks collecting data during the coldest period of the year. Lower temperatures increase fluid viscosity, making the problem even more pronounced.

After hundreds of experiments and repeated rounds of data collection, the team obtained valuable data, providing support for the development of equipment used in heavy-oil extraction. The results have since been applied in projects related to China National Offshore Oil Corporation, helping improve crude oil recovery efficiency.

Yasser also credits the people around her for helping her grow as a researcher. When she first arrived in China, she was unfamiliar with fluid mechanics and the software used in her field. Her supervisor and fellow students regularly helped her outside class. Senior students also shared their research experience and helped refine her first academic paper.

Today, Yasser has published six papers in leading international journals as first author. After completing her master's degree, she decided to stay at Jiangsu University to pursue a PhD.

During her years in China, Yasser has followed the country's advances in areas ranging from deep-space exploration and life sciences to advanced materials. For her, China's progress is closely tied to its strong support for scientific research and the dedication of its researchers.

With her own work now contributing to the development of advanced pumping technologies, Yasser's journey from Egypt to Jiangsu has become part of that wider story of scientific discovery and international collaboration.