The first gift she gave her child was a doctoral degree

For Western Sydney University PhD student candidate Zhao Zou, her doctoral journey became far more than an academic journey. It became a story of resilience, motherhood, perseverance, and personal transformation.

Zhao first joined Western in 2017 as a postgraduate student, where she discovered a passion for Human-Computer Interaction after taking a class with her future PhD supervisor, Professor Omar Mubin from the School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematics.

“I still clearly remember how much I enjoyed the interface design tutorials,” she said. “They opened a completely new world to me.”

Although she initially pursued a corporate career after graduating in 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic prompted her to reflect on her future.

“Deep down, I wanted to pursue something more meaningful and intellectually rewarding.”

In 2022, Zhao reconnected with Professor Mubin and began her PhD journey, focusing on Human-Computer Interaction and robotics research.

During the second year of her doctorate, she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and underwent surgery while continuing her research.

“I did not want my personal health struggles to negatively influence the work of the team around me. That sense of responsibility became one of the biggest motivations pushing me to recover and return as quickly as possible.”

“The second reason is more personal, and perhaps more honest. I was afraid of cancer. Returning to work and returning to research was, in many ways, my way of fighting against that fear.”

Zhao is currently expecting her first child, making her upcoming graduation even more meaningful.

“I see this as my baby’s first graduation and the first lesson I hope to give as a mother: never give up,” she said.

“I hope my child will understand in the future that there is never a fixed timeline for what a person ‘should’ do in life. We can always challenge ourselves, explore new possibilities, and pursue our dreams at any stage of life.”

As an international student, Zhao says studying overseas is about much more than earning a degree.

“I come from China, where education is highly valued not only as a personal achievement, but also as something deeply connected to family pride and future opportunities.”

“Many Chinese families make enormous sacrifices to support their children’s education, so graduation is often seen as a very meaningful milestone for the whole family, not just for the student alone.”

“It is a life journey filled with challenges, growth, loneliness, courage, and self-discovery.”

Crossing the graduation stage, Zhao was accompanied by her husband in the crowd, whom she describes as one of her strongest supporters.

“He has contributed enormously to this achievement. As a young couple studying overseas, life is not always easy, especially when both of us are far away from our families and hometown. Most of the time, we have had to rely on each other, support each other, and grow together through all the challenges of living abroad.”

Reflecting on her time at Western Sydney University, Zhao says the support she received from supervisors, colleagues, friends, and her husband helped her overcome some of the most difficult moments of her life.

Following support, guidance, and encouragement from her supervisors, she had the opportunity to develop her teaching skills as both a casual tutor and lecturer.

“Shortly after submitting my thesis in March 2025, I was fortunate to receive a full-time academic position at another university. Over the year and a half, this experience has helped me grow not only professionally, but also personally.”

“One of my future goals is to return to Western Sydney University as a lecturer in the future, where my academic journey first began.”

ENDS.

10 June 2026
Photo credit: Sally Tsoutas
Media Unit