Issue 1

Alumni Sharing

Dr Heriberto Saldivar Massimi
Managing Director, Brinc Accelerator, Spain

“Getting a PhD at PolyU was the right decision for me.“

From a manufacturing engineer in Latin America to rocket scientists and inventor in Asia to an investor all around the world.

Now I help start-ups from first concepts through research, funding, design, development and manufacturing to sales. As the Managing Director of Brinc Accelerator and member of the Investment Committee, I am responsible for our programs' operations and strategies globally as well as the technical due diligence process of our investments. Prior to Brinc, I worked on several projects including the development of a biped robot and an automated rover; I led a team that participated in a NASA-sponsored competition where the teams had to design and build a miniature space drone system, I also worked at Procter & Gamble as project manager and team leader for the development of a new product and the upgrade of its production line.

I was awarded the prestigious Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme and joined Prof. C.Y. Wen’s research team - High-speed Thermo-fluid and Manned/Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Laboratory (HTML) where I developed a software, which I hope, will help to design the next generation of space vehicles, drones, and planes.

Getting a PhD at PolyU was the right decision for me for several reasons. First and foremost, it was part of a rigorous academic program that never stopped challenging me. As a program well designed, besides the core aspects of research, it allowed me to explore other fields by taking classes, going to talks or collaborating with researchers from other departments in PolyU as well as different universities in Hong Kong, and many more. Most importantly, being a graduate student at Hong Kong PolyU means being part of a community of incredibly driven students with diverse backgrounds and interests, working on incredible solutions that will make a dent in the world.

If you are thinking of studying mechanical engineering at PolyU, I would recommend choosing your advisor wisely. As a graduate student, your relationship with your advisor is by far the most important relationship in your professional life, and will be a huge influence in your development. I wouldn't have done and achieved what I had without the support, guidance and chats with my advisor. PolyU has many world-class faculties working on a lot of different problems, so whatever your interests you will probably find an advisor who is excited about working with you. I’ll also add that it’s ok to not know precisely what you want to work on when you first start your PhD. In fact, most students' research interests evolve as they garner more knowledge and mature as scientists, check the professor’s interests and while talking to them, you can find an assortment of topics that will help you in the creation of your PhD thesis.

Managing Director
Brinc Accelerator, Global
http://brinc.io
PhD in Mechanical Engineering, PolyU