100 Years of DAAD Alumni: Lili Zeng
Which DAAD program did you participate in?
Lili Zeng: I took part in DAAD’s RISE Germany program, a summer research internship for undergrad students studying in Engineering or the Natural Sciences.
Where in Germany did you go with your DAAD funding?
L.Z.: Duisburg.
Are there any other stories, memories, or reflections on your DAAD experience that you would like to include?
L.Z.: I had a memorable summer doing the RISE internship in Duisburg in 2011, and those experiences inspired my debut novel, Dear Haider (Baraka Books) that came out in 2024.
What comes to mind when you think of your DAAD experience in Germany?
L.Z.: It was a summer of discovery and freedom for me. I was 19 when I participated in the RISE internship, it was my first time living and travelling by myself. I had a memorable time meeting other interns and locals, and travelled in Germany as well as to the Netherlands, Austria, and Italy.
The research work I did was interesting and proved formative for me, but the highlight was living and travelling in Europe for a summer by myself as a young adult.
What impact did this experience have on your career? Your life?
L.Z.: My research in Duisburg was in nanotechnology and physics, and I have since continued down that path, eventually obtaining a PhD last year, specializing in polymer physics and nanofluidics, from McGill University in Montreal, Canada. I had my first cleanroom work experience in Duisburg, and I have continued working in other cleanrooms since.
But the summer was also a really formative experience personally for me, and that is why I decided to fictionalize my experiences into a novel.
Is there anything you wish you had known before you went to Germany?
L.Z.: Not really. It made the discoveries I made about Germany more memorable. Perhaps if I’d known that Duisburg was a bit of a steel town beforehand, I might have hesitated in going, but I ended up having a great time there anyway, so it was worth it and I wouldn’t change a thing in retrospect.
What advice would you give a young scholar thinking of applying to a DAAD program?
L.Z.: It’s a wonderful opportunity. You’ll learn a lot, both about your field and about yourself. You’ll gain practical work experience while gaining valuable life experience too, it’s a win-win situation.
