Pan Yao, a postgraduate student in electrical and power engineering at Taiyuan University of Technology, became the youngest member of the 32nd Antarctic expedition, Shanxi Daily reported on Oct 28.
Pan, born in 1992, is the student of Dou Yinke, a professor of electrical engineering hailed as a pioneer in polar research in Shanxi province. Led by Professor Dou, their project, jointly applied with the Polar Research Institute of China, was approved by the State Oceanic Administration for the 32nd Antarctic expedition in July.
The next month, Pan was confirmed to join the expedition after rounds of elections in Tibet.
Pan’s Antarctic trip will start on November 7 and will spend about 20 days at Kunlun Station- the highest point of the South Polar ice sheet - for scientific research. He will install detection equipment independently developed by the Taiyuan University of Technology during the trip.
