A career built on shaky ground

She received her master's degree in 2005 and found a job at the Institute of Earthquake Forecasting of the China Earthquake Administration.

Three years later, an 8.0-magnitude earthquake hit Wenchuan county, Sichuan, causing widespread devastation. The Zhangheng-1 project, which was still in development and had been paused, was moved up the agenda once more.

In 2009, she took on two challenges, becoming a key member of the research project while giving birth to a baby girl. She was able to balance the duties of mother and scientist largely due to the support of her family, with the mother-in-law taking on some childcare tasks.

Aware of the need for an interdisciplinary background, Zeren Zhima began to apply for doctoral studies in astrophysics.

Juggling motherhood with in-depth research, on her third attempt, in 2014, she finally obtained her PhD from Beihang University in 2014.

In her senior thesis, she thanked her parents-in-law, husband and daughter, saying that her family had provided the strong support necessary for her career.

The Zhangheng-1 satellite was launched in February 2018. Over the past five years, it has racked up numerous achievements, including obtaining global electromagnetic field data, strengthening the monitoring of weather events, and offering support for research into earthquake forecasting.

Her team is now planning the second Zhangheng satellite, which will be followed by others that will eventually form a constellation of satellites.

She stresses that scientific research needs to be practical and realistic. Forecasting earthquakes is fundamental research requiring patience and persistence.

"We would rather spend decades on the research than rush ahead seeking quick results," she says.

The Wenchuan earthquake occurred on May 12, 2008. Since then, National Disaster Prevention and Reduction Day has been observed each year on May 12. The room number of her office is 512, a number picked out by the previous leader of the project. She says it acts as a reminder of her mission to help predict earthquakes and prevent such disasters in the future.

As the International Women's Day was celebrated on Wednesday, Zeren Zhima's story has come under the spotlight, providing an example of the varied and important work women are doing in the modern world.

In pondering the reasons for her success, she says that she keeps her sights on "surpassing my previous self and fulfilling my potential".

She is also mindful of her parents' priceless guidance on the value of doing things for the wellbeing of others.

"I am glad of having a science career that can protect people's lives and safety," Zeren Zhima says.