From Curious Student to Committed Mentor
“What are the forces?” For Daniel Shunxing Shi, this isn’t just a physics question – it’s a philosophy for steering a high-impact career.
From leading a bronze-medal-winning team to an eighth-place global finish at the 2019 International Young Physicists’ Tournament (IYPT) in Poland to his current work at a top health technology firm, Daniel has mastered the art of breaking complex problems down to their first principles.
Today, as a Product Development Engineer at Fisher & Paykel Healthcare and an Aerospace Engineering Master’s graduate at the University of Auckland Space Institute, he also mentors Kiwi students turning their own “weird and wonderful” curiosities into scientific reality.
Daniel’s path in the hard and applied sciences began in primary school. “We were given little packages of experiment kits to play with,” he recalls. He immersed himself further in the field when he joined The New Zealand Young Physicists’ Tournament at Auckland Grammar School as a Year 11 student.
“There was a problem focused on protecting an egg from falling from a height,” Daniel says. “I had participated in this challenge before, but that was the first time I realised physics could solve complex problems in a logical way, using first principles and objective evidence from the real world.”
Daniel found this perspective transformative. “That mindset seemed incredibly useful to me. Moreover, being able to explore and explain weird and wonderful phenomena was very attractive. It almost felt like if I didn’t learn physics, I would never be able to tell whether these phenomena were magic or reality.”
He continues to apply this physics-based logic in his current engineering role. “It’s a logical way of breaking down a complex problem to its first principles and tackling them with both a theoretical and practical approach,” he explains. “Gaining insight from real-world data during a preliminary investigation often helps you make a start.”
‘Don’t be scared by complex theories and long equations’
Daniel completed his Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Auckland. In his final year, he researched and developed a satellite mechanism based on electromagnetic principles; this project brought his journey full circle. “The same principle was actually used in one of the IYPT problems I did during high school,” he says. “It is wonderful how these fundamental principles always apply.”
When discussing how to approach the field, Daniel advises others to return to that same core question: What are the forces? “Don’t be scared by complex names, theories, and long equations,” he says. “Take it down to the fundamental level and see if it makes sense.”
He also cites the vital importance of feedback. During the NZ Young Physicists’ Tournament, he focused closely on the jury’s comments – a habit he maintains in his professional career. He notes that learning to accept feedback laid the foundation for viewing research through the lens of constructive criticism. “Being able to see limitations and contributions from a calm, objective perspective is great for professional development.”
Now, as a trustee with the Young Physicists Trust NZ, Daniel finds immense satisfaction in supporting the next generation. He relishes watching students grow throughout the competition, remarking simply, “I am very proud of these students.”
As told to, and written by, Divina Paredes