"My life is very simple; I just focus on the students. As long as I'm not on a business trip, I'm in the office every night, and students can find me anytime." This unadorned statement is a vivid portrayal of Professor Zeng Sheng, the director of the Mineral Resources Engineering Department at University of South China, who has been teaching for 20 years.
Since he joined the faculty in 2005, he has always been rooted in the frontline of teaching and scientific research. Starting as an ordinary young teacher, he has gradually grown into a professor and doctoral supervisor. Adhering to the life motto of "Cultivating talents with virtue and erudition, and forging the teacher's soul with meticulous dedication," he has become an "guide" on the growth path of countless mining students through his down-to-earth work and perseverance.
Break the deadlock and forge a "ability-cultivation field" in the classroom
"Classes should not be like 'driving ducks' (herding ducks). The number of students in specialized courses should not exceed two natural classes. If there are too many students in a major, the course should be taught in two sessions." In response to the common problem of "low efficiency in large - class teaching and difficulty in teacher - student interaction", Zeng Sheng put forward such an "iron rule".
"Repeating the same content twice" was proposed, and it immediately encountered opposition from many teachers. Some thought it was "unnecessary and a waste of time," while others believed it "increased the class hours, which wasn't worth it." As the department head, Zeng Sheng didn't confront the opposing teachers directly. Instead, he first persuaded the senior teachers in the department to take the lead in implementing small-class teaching.
Leading undergraduate students to the site for the experiment of the course "Rock Drilling and Blasting Engineering"——Blasting Vibration Test
"Mineral resources major is highly practical; we can't just teach textbook knowledge. Students need to touch things with their own hands and see them on-site to truly understand." To improve teaching quality, Zeng Sheng led his teachers to refine their lessons together. He shared his lesson preparation notes and teaching plans without reservation, and combined with years of engineering practice, he interspersed blasting engineering on-site cases and mine field research experiences into his classes. He also actively strengthened connections with mining enterprises and led students to conduct on-site practical teaching at mines.
In class, Zeng Sheng never limits himself to textbook knowledge; he often extends from one knowledge point to the cutting-edge of scientific research. When teaching "Rock Blasting Theory," he would incorporate his ongoing project on the fractal characteristics of crack propagation in fractured rock under impact loading; when teaching "Mining CAD Drawing," he would bring out design drawings of mine examples for students to analyze, making them exclaim, "It's understandable and applicable!" "Teacher Zeng first draws a clear knowledge map to help us organize the logic, then tells anecdotes from when he was taking the advanced blasting certification exam—he even teaches us how to communicate and coordinate with construction site bosses and handle on-site emergencies. It's much more vivid than the textbook!" recalled Zheng Yukun, a 2023 student.
Deeply engage in scientific research and ignite the spark of students' innovation
"Research cannot tolerate the slightest perfunctory attitude. If you do it, you must do it to the best of your ability, earnestly, earnestly, and earnestly." This is what Zeng Sheng often told his students, and it is also the criterion he follows when guiding students in their research. In September 2023, Zheng Yukun, under Zeng Sheng's guidance, prepared for the 13th National Mining Model Competition. Initially, to simplify the process, Zheng Yukun planned to use colored lights to simulate the mine liquid transportation process. When Zeng Sheng saw this, he immediately put forward an improvement suggestion: "This idea is creative, but using colored lights to simulate liquid flow is not realistic enough to meet the rigor of a scientific research model. We need to use a water pump to create a physical circulation system so that the model can truly demonstrate the principle of liquid transportation."
Guide undergraduate students of Batch 2022 to conduct experimental research for their Great Innovation Project
"From determining the topic, purchasing materials, guiding model production to finally packing for competition, Teacher Zeng will follow up the entire process, and every piece of advice he gives is specific and clear." Zheng Yukang smiled. During the one-month preparation for the competition, no matter how busy Zeng Sheng was, he would go to the laboratory every day for guidance. Finally, the model designed by Zheng Yukang's team, titled "Model Display of All Systems Above and Below Ground for In-situ Blasting Leaching Uranium Mining," won the first prize in the National College Student Works Competition for Mining Engineering Professionals. This is the 6th first prize that Zeng Sheng has guided students to win in this competition.
Under Zeng Sheng's guidance, the students have won more than 30 awards in national mining model competitions, mechanics competitions and other events. He never requires students to "must win awards," but often emphasizes: "When participating in competitions and doing scientific research, the key is not the final ranking, but learning to discover and solve problems in the process." He always tells his students: "For undergraduates doing scientific research, the focus is on cultivating scientific research thinking and practical abilities to lay the foundation for future postgraduate studies. Even if you only complete part of the project in the end, as long as you have mastered research methods and learned team collaboration, it is a success."
Sun Bing, Zeng Sheng's spouse, is the Vice Dean, Professor, and Doctoral Supervisor of the School of Civil Engineering at University of South China. The two have formed a "couple research team," not only co-supervising postgraduate students but also regularly holding interdisciplinary group meetings to allow undergraduates and postgraduates to exchange and learn together.
"Teacher Zeng and his wife are particularly considerate. They adjust our direction according to everyone's plans. For those who want to pursue employment, they help us contact enterprises for internships and focus on cultivating practical abilities; for those who want to pursue a PhD, they encourage us to publish papers and guide us to sort out research ideas." said Song Jiayin, a student in a combined master's and PhD program. When she first entered the program in her first year of master's study, Zeng Sheng took the initiative to talk with her about her future plans and helped her formulate a detailed paper publication plan. Now, Song Jiayin has successfully published 3 SCI papers and is steadily moving forward on her research path.
Warmly guard, be the "lifelong contact person" for students
"Teacher Zeng, I can't find my file. The unit is urging me urgently. Can you help me?" In August 2024, Liang, a student who had graduated for more than 10 years, called Zeng Sheng anxiously. Zeng Sheng didn't shirk and immediately contacted the college's file management teacher, following up continuously for a week, and finally helped her find the file. "As long as the student has difficulties, no matter how long they have graduated, I will help if I can." Zeng Sheng has used the same mobile phone number for over 20 years, just to ensure that students can contact him immediately whenever they encounter problems.
In the eyes of students, Zeng Sheng is not only a teacher but also a "life planner". In the office computer, there are "exclusive forms" for each batch of students: postgraduate exam target institutions, employment intention companies, civil service exam positions, and even tutoring plans for students who failed exams are all clearly recorded. Every September, he holds group meetings for juniors and seniors to help them analyze the competition situation of postgraduate exam institutions and the changes in market demand for employment.
"Teacher Zeng is particularly meticulous. He will compile statistics on students applying to the same school and major, reminding us to avoid internal competition. He will also personally teach us how to write resumes and practice interview skills." said Chen Yufan, a 2025 postgraduate entrance examination student. His postgraduate entrance examination score was not ideal, and he once fell into anxiety. It was Zeng Sheng who took the initiative to help him contact transfer institutions and stayed up late to sort out the key points of the re-examination. Finally, he successfully "got admitted" and was admitted to his ideal school, Guangxi University.
For students with psychological distress, Zeng Sheng is even more patient in accompanying them. A student in this major developed severe psychological issues due to family reasons. Zeng Sheng had multiple heart-to-heart talks with him and contacted his parents to establish a school-family co-education mechanism. During the student's leave of absence, Zeng Sheng continued to pay attention, regularly communicating with him through WeChat. After the student returned to school, he even found time to chat with the student once a week, helped him formulate a study plan, and encouraged him to participate in activities. Now, the student has not only become positive and optimistic but also his academic performance has steadily improved.
During the interview, Zeng Sheng always said "I didn't do anything special," but in reality, he has inscribed the four characters "teaching and educating students" into his daily life: arriving at the office early every day and leaving only late at night, so that students can consult him at any time; the dense array of "exclusive documents" on his computer record his concern for students; in various students' QQ groups, he is always the one with the highest activity level...
"As long as the students need me, I will keep doing this." Zeng Sheng said with a smile. It is this simple yet firm commitment that has made him the "always reliable Teacher Zeng" and lit up the growth path of one student after another.
