Chen Shen, CCT 2018

Undergraduate Institution and Major: Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Computer Science

Area of focus in CCT: Complex Systems and Computational Models for Social Science

What did you do before CCT? After my undergraduate studies, I worked in CCTV (China Central Television) for 10 years. Cameraman, recordist, editor, director, designer, copywriter, consultant, almost every position on the TV production line. I made some of the most famous Chinese quiz shows before I resigned. 

What activities do you participate in at CCT? I co-managed the CCT Technology Design Studio.

Why did you choose CCT? I wanted to drop the V from CCTVer. Kidding aside, the CCT curriculum perfectly combined communication (my job), technology (my education), and culture (my obsession). What more could I wish for?

What surprised you about CCT?  How much it changes you, for the better. At Orientation, I asked two other CCTers about the future. They didn’t have an answer, and neither did I. Two semesters later, one of them was pursuing a non-profit career and got an internship at an NGO in D.C., the other was inspired by a CCT course and was pursuing professional training. As for me, I found a research topic so tempting that I want to dedicate all my time to it. These kinds of changes happen for a lot of other CCTers – subtle, spontaneous, but huge. 

What are you doing now? I am doing research in the complexity science domain at the New England Complex Systems Institute in Boston.