Source: My UM

If you ask Huber Hu, a first-year student from the Department of Electromechanical Engineering, about the one thing he absolutely cannot stand in life, he would most certainly answer , ‘Boredom.’ His hobbies seem to bear this out, because they are anything but boring. Flying an airplane, hunting, skydiving, fencing, yachting, keeping a pet eagle…You name it, he’s probably tried it. But indulging in exciting hobbies is not the only way Huber keeps boredom at bay. Now barely 20, he has already invented several award-winning gadgets and is an executive director of an innovative technology company in Beijing.

 

Studying in the US—A Beautiful Accident

Huber’s parents are both doctors. They laid out a clear career path for their son to follow: Huber would finish high school and then apply for a medical school. But in his second year in high school, Huber made a decision everyone thought was crazy , which he now jokingly says was probably because he had‘lost his mind’. He decided to withdraw from the school despite his parents’ strong opposition and applied to the Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) in the United States. FIT granted him special admission, thus initiating a fruitful period for Huber during which time he carried out research projects under the guidance of his professor.

Huber discovered his interest in science at an early age. In 2013, when he was still in high school, he and a friend participated in EurekaFest, a multi-day event organised by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for inventors from around the world. They won an outstanding design award for their project, and it was around that time that Huber developed a pulse jet engine, an invention of which he feels the most proud to this day. If studying in the US was an accident, it proved to be a beautiful one that introduced Huber to many exciting new hobbies. For instance, he obtained a private pilot license while studying in the US. For someone who detests boredom, the reason why he applied for the license was boringly practical. ‘The hourly pay was 300 US dollars, with double pay during public holidays, and I figured it was a much quicker way to make money and work my way through college than washing the dishes in the restaurants,’ he says. In addition to flying a plane, he also dabbled in hunting for a while, which supplemented his income and satisfied his curiosity about hunting. His experiences in the US have changed his outlook on life. ‘I’m now philosophical about pretty much everything and no longer sweat the small stuff,’ he says.

 

Enthusiastic Inventor and Rookie Entrepreneur

After studying one year in the US, Huber transferred to UM in 2015. At that time he already had an innovative technology company in Beijing, whose products range from air purifiers to skateboards using jet engines and suspension technology. He has also successfully obtained a room in Chao Kuang Piu College to serve as his personal laboratory, where he invents everything that strikes his fancy, from unmanned planes to railguns. ‘At its core, inventing is about following up on seemingly ridiculous ideas by seeking technical support and working you’re your team,’ he says. ‘Personally I think inventions that can help people in practical ways are the ones worth working on.’ Of course he has had his fair share of challenges in the process of starting a company , and the greatest one has been the difficulty in earning the trust of prospective clients. ‘Many people just don’t feel that they can trust a “kid” who hasn’ t even finished college to do their projects, so it is important to earn their trust,’ Huber explains. ‘Also, managing a company from a distance increases my workload. For example, I often have to apply for leave of absence so I can fly back to Beijing for a meeting.’ The next goal he hopes to achieve for his company is to attract more investors and grow the company so he could develop products he has always wanted to develop.

 

The Sorrows of Young Huber

Huber pays for the college tuition and all the other expenses with the money he makes himself. ‘I think it’s better to save up the money my parents gave me for college, because this way I won’ t feel guilty.’ But the absence of guilt comes at the price of financial pressure, since he has borrowed money from the bank to fund his company . But the optimistic Huber believes that stress can also become a source of motivation. ‘And besides it’s a road I chose,’ he says. Although Huber loves the thrill of inventing new things that have earned him recognition and awards, he sometimes doubts whether it is worth spending so much time on this pursuit. ‘I feel that I have very little in common with other people in terms of interests and hobbies, so sometimes I do feel a little lonely,’ he says. In his own words, he is “too blunt, too forgetful in daily life, and worried about not being able to find a girlfriend.” Huber ’s experiences are anything but ordinary for a young man his age, and perhaps because of this, he is sometimes perceived as a ‘weirdo’.

But maybe only someone with an extraordinary inner strength can learn to enjoy his own company and persevere in what he believes in. ‘If at first it was just a vague belief that someday I might succeed, now it is a firm belief that one day all my efforts will be rewarded.’ he says. To many young people, college years are carefree time to be enjoyed. From the outside looking in, other people may envy his experiences, but the truth is sometimes, especially when he feels tired, Huber wonders if it wouldn’ t be better to just throw in the towel and join the partying crowd. ‘During moments like this, it is the belief that my efforts will pay off some day that keeps me going,’ he says.