From growing up in rural China to tackling the challenges of a sustainable future, Qiyan’s career trajectory has been remarkable. Her path has spanned the globe, from Sweden to Saudi Arabia, and leapt from academia to industry, as she followed her drive for challenge and growth. But there is little time for dwelling on the past for this highly charged and positive problem solver.
“My career highlight? It’s the problem in front of me today and the one I’ll face tomorrow,” she says. “Solving what’s on my desk at the moment is more exciting and important than what has happened before.”
That response reflects a passion for progress that comes through in every word. It also glosses over a spate of extraordinary achievements. Qiyan was one of very few children from her small village in China to go to university. She then obtained a double PhD degree—one in Power Engineering and Engineering Thermophysics from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and the other in Energy and Nuclear Science and Technology from the Polytechnic University of Milan. Before joining Accelleron she also held coveted research and teaching roles at universities in China, Saudi Arabia, Italy, and Sweden.
Qiyan receiving the best Ph.D. thesis award from AIMSEA in Bari, Italy, 2022
Tackling transformation
Qiyan now applies herself to the challenges facing Accelleron’s customers. Among her current projects, for example, are building tools for investigations into carbon-neutral fuels like ammonia and conducting studies on advanced turbocharging concepts, as well as exploring how Accelleron’s digital solutions can deliver improved analytics. These are tasks that she approaches with relish.
“The change that industry is going through is exciting, and our efforts will help to achieve it. The commitment to tackle uncertainties and contribute to society connects with the way I work—as a problem solver, the unknown fascinates me. It is an honor to be part of this transformation.”
That problem-solving approach has helped Qiyan traverse diverse cultures. She explains, with analytical precision, that effectively navigating cultural differences requires openness to local customs and a willingness to learn and adapt—all underpinned by the confidence to share new perspectives.
Qiyan at an after-work barbecue on the campus of Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, 2022
Feeling excluded or different at first can be tough, she admits. A “never-give-up mindset” is important, with patience, effort and trust needed from everyone involved. Finding common ground is also essential, while still respecting cultural differences. While she was in Italy, for example, she assimilated the Milanese passion for cars and motorsports. Now in Switzerland, hiking and learning the names of the local mountains has become another pastime.
Qiyan hiking in Seealpsee, Switzerland, 2024
A toast to discomfort
Qiyan believes that constantly finding new avenues for growth is essential. As part of her efforts to better communicate her ideas, she recently joined the public speaking group Toastmasters International. That may seem counter-intuitive for someone who declares that they feel highly uncomfortable speaking in public, but the reasoning is yet more evidence of her positive attitude to challenge.
What fear? Qiyan doing stand-up comedy for the first time at a pub in Aarau, Switzerland, in 2025, with Toastmasters friends
“If I want to improve, I need to get comfortable with that discomfort first,” she says. “Becoming confident in those situations is as important as the technical skills.”
Getting comfortable with discomfort on a trek through rugged terrain in Tariff, Saudi Arabia, 2018
Within Accelleron, Qiyan has found opportunities both to maintain her connection with academia and to help those embarking on their own careers. She acts as a university liaison for the company, contributing Accelleron’s expertise to academic projects and assessing external research that might be useful for the company. And through the Young Accellerators program, she offers guidance and support to the company’s interns and new joiners–including those who, like her, may be setting foot outside academia for the first time.
Qiyan speaking on combustion concepts for heavy-duty engines at SAE Congress in Capri, Italy, 2021
Guided by growth
Qiyan’s advice to younger colleagues tallies with how she has forged her own career. The path you take should be guided by where you can find opportunities for challenge and personal growth, she says, rather than by a fixed view of what position you would like to attain in the future.
“I thought ‘scientist’ was a cool title when I was young, so I became a researcher, and now I’m an engineer,” she explains. “Don’t limit yourself to one career path. Look at all aspects where you can grow–technical, social, leadership–and then let opportunity decide. Having that attitude is simpler than having a fixed idea of your destination.”
Those are words that anyone starting a career would be well advised to take onboard. But perhaps not the younger Qiyan. Asked what she would tell her younger self if she could, she laughs: “It doesn’t matter what I say to her–she wouldn’t listen.”