NTHU Student Chang Yu-Shuo Wins Mei Yi-Chi Memorial Medal for Racing and Chip Achievements

(Central News Agency, reporter Lu Gangjun, Hsinchu City, 3rd) Chang Yu-Shuo, a student in the Department of Electrical Engineering at National Tsing Hua University, was awarded this year's highest graduate honor, the "Mei Yi-Chi Memorial Medal," for his brilliant achievements in international racing, chip research, and team leadership, demonstrating cross-disciplinary strength combining theory and practice. Chang, who loves mathematics, physics, and hands-on work, told CNA that when he first entered NTHU, he was stumped by boring theories like calculus. It wasn't until his sophomore year when he joined the "NTHU Racing Team" and began developing the vehicle's entire electronic control system that he realized those abstract formulas were the soul that made the race car run, and he began to enjoy the sense of accomplishment of being a "grease monkey." The high voltage developed by the team once caused a wave of dropouts. Chang said that at its worst, the electronic control group had only three people left, yet they were still responsible for the entire vehicle system development. He admitted to thinking about giving up many times, but thought, "If I leave too, this group might have no one to take over," and decided to go through the toughest times with the team. This persistence eventually led to a turnaround. Chang pointed out that the team not only dominated Taiwan but also traveled to Europe in 2025, finishing 12th overall in the "Skidpad" event at the German world competition. In 2026, they achieved 90th place in the Formula Student World Ranking (FS World Ranking) and 1st in Asia, making Taiwan's racing prowess known internationally. In addition to his electrical engineering major, Chang also minored in Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management. He believes the biggest gain from cross-disciplinary learning was learning to view problems from different perspectives, a mindset that became crucial nourishment for later leading large engineering teams. Taking off his racing overalls, Chang also focused on digital IC design in the lab, perfectly applying "chaotic systems" to hardware security and successfully developing a new chip. This achievement earned him acceptance as the first author for an oral presentation at a leading international semiconductor conference in 2026. "If you only take away grades when you graduate from university, then you lack a bit of soul," Chang said. Besides expressing gratitude to his advisor, Professor Huang Yuan-Hao, he also encouraged juniors to bravely step out of their comfort zones, because many of life's most precious gains and growth often appear after the most difficult and tempting-to-give-up trials. (Editor: Wu Surou) 1150603