| Caesar Qiu (邱根源) remembers watching the second Chinese human spaceflight ‘Shenzhou 6’ launch into space on the TV in his lounge room as a five-year-old in 2012 – and has been hooked ever since. John Paul College Year 12 student Caesar Qiu (邱根源), from Shenzhen in China has been studying at the College since 2015. Caesar was recently awarded a STEM internship at the Queensland University of Technology, based on academic results and teacher recommendations. Caesar was one of Queensland’s 46 brightest Year 12 students who were dreaming up solutions to real world problems during their internship at QUT.
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Caesar was involved in the Astrophysics research project, where students explored the concepts in rocket science, space travel and exoplanet habitability to design a mission to relocate humanity to a nearby solar system and save the human race. The students left the project placement with a better understanding of the critical role that astrophysics research plays in investigating the stability and sustainability of Earth in our complex and ever-changing corner of the universe.
Students accessed very advanced laboratories and technology to experience cutting-edge research and inspire them to forge a career in scientific research that will benefit humanity.
The programme allows students to expand their skills beyond the classroom and explore future career ambitions with like-minded peers in one of six areas including pharmacy, robotics vision, infection and immunity, environmental engineering, astrophysics and genomics research. Caesar naturally chose astrophysics.
Day two of the programme involved identifying exoplanets – planets outside our solar system. Through research aided by the Queensland University Technology’s faculty staff, Caesar and his peer determined that the star Kepler-62-f could potentially sustain human life. It’s just a matter of travelling hundreds of light years to reach it.
Caesar said the experience reinforced his original passion for space and his future goals.
“The programme was not just about science, it allowed me to look at potential pathways, to meet students with similar interests and to learn about career destinations from graduates. It really helped me see my future.”
As well as the demands of Year 12 study, Caesar’s immediate future will include contesting the Queensland final of the National Titration competition with his John Paul College teammates and a three-week trip to NASA Space School in December.
A career is aerospace research and development is firmly on the cards for Caesar and he hopes to enrol in the University of New South Wales aerospace engineering degree from 2019.
