Eric Shen

““Scientists study the world that exists, engineers create the world that never was”. I'm fascinated by the process of creation and iteration – I’ve always loved product design and the idea of creating something new.

“Turning to university, I decided to study engineering because it exists in a space where creativity is bounded only by physical laws of reality – that’s where great, impactful solutions are born.

“Biomedical engineering is one of the fastest emerging fields of innovation – that speed of growth comes with uncertainty, which to me, is comparable to the feeling of excitement. I was attracted to how complex the types of problems were in this space, because that signalled a strong opportunity to create large leaps of improvement in medical technologies.

“My exchange semester at the University of California, Irvine, during my third year of study was a pivotal moment in my professional journey. I volunteered for a research lab, participated in industry events, connected with fellow engineering students in the US, and travelled extensively with new friends. That experience gave me a profound shift in life perspective, and a new understanding of the diverse opportunities that exist in the world.

“Professor Thor Besier, who I worked with for over three years during my undergraduate studies, was one of the most impactful people during my University experience. Working in Thor’s Musculoskeletal Modelling Lab starting from my second year, I saw him balance world-class biomechanics academic research with his multiple successful spin-out entrepreneurial ventures.

“This significantly shaped my interests in the intersection between engineering and business, and gave me the initial confidence to explore these aspects of innovation outside of my studies.

“In 2023, I won the Ideas Challenge run by Velocity – the University’s student-led entrepreneurship programme, which was my first major foray into entrepreneurship.

“It was a great way for me to understand the basic elements to building great, scalable ventures. I would highly recommend all students to think about how they can develop their idea beyond the challenge itself and actively connect with players in the ecosystem to turn it into a reality. New Zealand has everything to gain from having more ambitious student-driven ventures!

“‘As an Engineering student, my experiences ranged across academic research, large corporate industry, clinical collaborations, early-stage startups, investments, and more. This high level of exposure allowed me to develop a broad foundation to build on during my Fulbright experience.

“Being able to draw insights from all these different, yet adjacent fields, gave me the unique insights that I will be able to share with both my New Zealand and US colleagues during my Fulbright journey.

“I’ll be pursuing a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology for the next two years. Through this, I hope to maintain my breadth by being exposed to fields such as hardware, robotics, AI, design, and modelling, particularly through the lens of medical innovation.

“I am also hoping to continue fostering my interest in business, entrepreneurship, and investments. Being able to span both technology and business requires a unique type of mindset which I hope to develop by connecting with as many people as possible who share the same passion in the US.

“For any aspiring engineers, maintaining your appreciation for adjacent fields will be one of your biggest advantages. The missing link between foundational science skills and solving life’s grandest technical challenges is your ability to identify, articulate, and empathise with the problems that people face – that can only come from those who maintain an unbounded curiosity about the world, even if it is outside of engineering.”