physics

Shi Zhengrong

Shi Zhengrong is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Shi Zhengrong rather than just read about it. In short: Shi Zhengrong (Chinese: 施正荣; pinyin: Shī Zhèngróng, born 10 February 1963) is a Chinese-Australian businessman and philanthropist. He is the founder and, up to March 2013, chairman and chief executive officer of Suntech Power.

Key takeaways

Shi Zhengrong belongs to physics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Shi Zhengrong to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Shi Zhengrong from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Shi Zhengrong (Chinese: 施正荣; pinyin: Shī Zhèngróng, born 10 February 1963) is a Chinese-Australian businessman and philanthropist. He is the founder and, up to March 2013, chairman and chief executive officer of Suntech Power.

Biography Shi was born in Yangzhong, Jiangsu, China. His identical twin brother is Chen Henglong, who is also a tycoon. He finished his undergraduate study at Changchun University of Science and Technology, and obtained his Master's degree from the Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Afterward, Shi went to the University of New South Wales's School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering where he obtained his doctorate degree on solar power technology. Shi studied with Professor Martin Green. He acquired Australian citizenship and returned to China in 2001 to set up the solar power company Suntech Power. Shi founded Suntech with support from the Wuxi city government, which held a 25% stake in the company. After Suntech's listing on the New York Stock Exchange in 2005, Shi became the richest person in China. Academic Lan Xiaohuan writes that Shi's wealth following the listing "acted as a strong demonstration effect and local governments across China soon began to invest in the solar industry." Shi was elected Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering in 2009. In 2009, Shi also received the Oslo Business for Peace Award, an award chosen by Nobel winners to leaders in the private sector who have demonstrated transformative and positive change through ethical business practices. According to Hurun Report's China Rich List 2013, he had a personal net worth of US$330 million. Amid fierce price competition on its products, on 20 March 2013, the Suntech board declared bankruptcy in the wake of defaulting on US$541 million-worth of bonds, Shi had been demoted from chairman to director earlier that month. The Financial Times, quoting the Shanghai Securities News, reported at the time that Shi's movements were being restricted and that he was not allowed to leave China pending an investigation into his role at Suntech. By 2016, he was living in Shanghai and frequently visiting Australia. As of 2017 and 2018, Dr. Shi Zhengrong had been seen actively giving key note speeches at solar conferences and promoting the use of solar technologies in both China and overseas.

Philanthropy He has donated funds to a renewable energy research unit at the University of NSW, Australia "because he felt it was not getting an appropriate level of government support", according to Australian Greens Senator Christine Milne.

References

External links China: the Sun King, ABC Radio National Shi Zhengrong: China's sunshine boy, CNN Shi Zhengrong, Time Magazine #396 Shi Zhengrong, The World's Billionaires 2008, Forbes Mr Sunshine: China's solar billionaire Shi Zhengrong

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Shi Zhengrong

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Shi Zhengrong claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Shi Zhengrong before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Shi Zhengrong ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Shi Zhengrong

In research: Shi Zhengrong appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Shi Zhengrong in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Shi Zhengrong is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1963 births, 21st-century Chinese businesspeople, Australian businesspeople in the energy industry, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Shi Zhengrong outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Shi Zhengrong in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Shi Zhengrong means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Shi Zhengrong out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Shi Zhengrong in simple terms?

Why does Shi Zhengrong matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Shi Zhengrong?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Shi Zhengrong.