Amid the wave of deep integration of artificial intelligence and consumer electronics, an alumnus from the School of Engineering at Shantou University has, through more than twenty years of focus and deep cultivation, left a mark belonging to "Shantou workers" in the cutting-edge fields of imaging technology and system development. He is Qu Qingfa, a 1996 graduate of the Electronic Information Engineering program at the School of Engineering, Shantou University, and currently the manager of the R&D department at Apple R&D (Beijing) Co., Ltd. Shenzhen Branch.
01
Campus Days: Connecting with electronic technology, honing R&D logic
Qu Qingfa's "technician" gene had long been deeply rooted in the classrooms and laboratories of the College of Engineering at Shantou University. Having been obsessed with electronics and software since childhood, he found ideal soil for growth here. The teachers did not stick to tedious theoretical instruction but introduced practical cases from electronic design and software development, closely linking classroom learning with industry needs and igniting his boundless passion for technology R&D.
In Professor Fang Zhanwei's course "Microcontroller Principles and Interface Technology," he first deeply understood the essence of "software-hardware collaboration" and, through repeated practice, developed a closed-loop R&D mindset of "theory—modeling—verification." He was one of the few students to pass the Level 2 C language exam and receive an "Excellent" rating, behind which lies countless rounds of refinement and verification of programming logic.
As president of the Shantou University Electronics Association, he not only explores research topics and overcomes challenges under the guidance of the 1994 and 95 cohorts, but also, as a "senior brother and teacher," he explains knowledge to juniors in the computer room, passing on the spark of technology. Those pure and fulfilling years not only earned him precious friendships but also forged a spirit of focused research and teamwork, laying a solid foundation for his future R&D management career.
02
Career journey: Deeply cultivating the imaging field, climbing technological peaks
After graduation, Qu Qingfa started as a grassroots electronic design engineer at Polyhua Technology Co., Ltd., quickly standing out from the team with solid hardware and software skills. He is not only the executor of technology but also the builder of the team—as the first technical leader to establish a firmware R&D department, he was promoted to deputy manager of the firmware department just 2.5 years after graduation, becoming the core driving force during the golden development period of the company's digital cameras, fully witnessing and participating in the entire industry cycle from inception, rise, to peak.
In 2016, with over twenty years of deep experience in digital product firmware development, Qu Qingfa joined Apple, a global leader in technological innovation. He has successively led the development of light field cameras, drone testing, and camera testing systems, seamlessly transferring years of accumulated imaging R&D experience to top global consumer electronics platforms. Today, he is responsible for system development of core products such as iPhone, iPad, and AirPods. In the era of rapid AI development, he leverages the advantages of programmers to continuously push the limits of engineering R&D, constantly expanding the boundaries of cutting-edge fields such as AI phones and spatial computing terminals. His career path is a typical "technical long-distance marathon," continuously deepening his work in one field, accumulating depth through time and achievements.
03
Industry Insight: Integrated hardware and software,
Experience is king
In Qu Qingfa's view, the global consumer electronics industry is currently in a new round of technological upgrades, with the core future trends being efficiency, intelligence, and greening.
He pointed out that with the deep integration of artificial intelligence, on-device computing power, and hardware systems, products like smartphones and tablets are rapidly evolving toward high performance, lightweight design, and long battery life. Especially in innovative scenarios such as AI smartphones, foldable devices, ARM architecture PCs, and spatial computing terminals, users have higher demands for instant device response, energy efficiency, and cross-device collaboration. In the future, advanced process chips, edge-cloud collaborative computing, high-density batteries and fast charging technologies, and new cooling solutions will become core breakthrough directions for the industry. The integrated integration of software and hardware ecosystems will determine the product's ultimate competitiveness in user experience and platform stickiness.
"The industry's demand for versatile talent who possess both hardware engineering and system-level software optimization skills continues to grow." Qu Qingfa emphasized that practitioners must not only master solid knowledge such as structural design, circuit and power management, and RF and antenna technology, but also keep pace with cutting-edge trends in human-computer interaction, AI algorithms, and operating system optimization, seizing the historic opportunity to shift from "performance stacking" to "experience-driven" transformation.
04
Life wisdom: focus to achieve far-reaching goals,
Joyfully pursued
Looking back on more than twenty years of research and development, Qu Qingfa's greatest insight is: there are no shortcuts in technology; only focus and perseverance can lead to steady and far-reaching progress.
He regards every setback as a training ground and treats busy R&D work as a training ground. For him, what is truly worth being proud of is not a single dazzling breakthrough, but the accumulation accumulated day by day in an ordinary position. The value of technological innovation lies in making the industry better and making one's professional life more meaningful. Amid his busy management work, he strives to balance his career and life, treating learning as a habit and constantly expanding his professional boundaries. He has always adhered to the life motto of "focus at one's post, happily pursue in life," facing challenges with composure.
05
Alma Mater Sentiment: Remembering the source when drinking water,
and mentored younger scholars
"Remember the source when drinking water, chase dreams without forgetting the path you came from." After leaving campus for many years, Qu Qingfa has always been devoted to the College of Engineering at Shantou University. He has participated many times in activities of the Shantou University Foshan Alumni Association, donated funds for alumni and school events, photographed football events organized by the alumni association, and did his best to support fellow students who are ill, conveying the warmth of Shantou workers through his actions.
He highly appreciates his alma mater's educational philosophy of "building a solid foundation, strengthening engineering thinking, and closely aligning with practice," believing that this aligns well with the industry's demand for engineering talent. It is precisely this rigorous and pragmatic academic style that shaped his down-to-earth and striving for excellence, enabling him to always stay true to his original intention on the path of research and development. He sincerely wished the alma mater continued to leverage its strengths and achieve new success in electronic information and software development.
To the younger students at school, he offered four heartfelt messages:
Emphasize fundamentals: Firmly establish theoretical foundations and avoid impatience. The "excellent" results of those years came from relentless dedication to every knowledge point.
Strong Practice: Engage in the lab and test truth through hands-on practice. Hands-on ability is the foundation of an engineer's character.
Good thinking: Stay curious and continuously evolve through reflection. Embracing new trends like AI with an empty cup mindset.
Understanding collaboration: integrating into the team and sparking innovation through collisions. Collaboration has always been key to technological breakthroughs.
"On the career path of engineering technology, both hands-on practice and learning innovation skills are crucial. Choose your track and persevere with composure, facing challenges with composure, and defining the future with hardcore strength. May each of you relying on your passion and become pillars of the nation. ”
From being a "senior brother and teacher" in the Shantou Electronics Association to a leader in Apple's core R&D system, Qu Qingfa has devoted over twenty years of dedicated cultivation to embody the profound foundation of the new era "Shantong Spirit."
"Shantong Imprint"
Carrying out "Shantou University of Technology Imprint" alumni publicity is an important measure for the School of Engineering at Shantou University to inherit the spiritual roots and gather momentum for development. Since its founding in 1981, the School of Engineering has trained students from various industries. They tackle challenges on the front lines of engineering construction, continuously break new ground at the research frontier, and quietly contribute at the grassroots level, embodying the engineering spirit of "focus, rigor, and innovation" through hard work. Through the "Shantong Imprint," the college connects these scattered stories, making the struggles of the older generation alumni a spiritual beacon inspiring the new generation, and helping students find direction by learning from the growth trajectories of role models around them.
At the same time, the "Shantong Imprint" serves as an emotional bond between the college and its alumni. The promotional activities not only allow alumni to feel the attention and recognition of their alma mater, but also build a platform for resource sharing—alumni enterprises can collaborate with the college on industry-university-research projects, turning research achievements into industrial momentum; Entrepreneurial alumni can provide students with internship positions and entrepreneurial guidance, enabling the transfer of experience. This two-way interaction not only supports the development of alumni careers but also injects new vitality into the college's discipline development and talent cultivation.
In addition, the "Shantong Imprint" also serves as a window to showcase the college's educational achievements and enhance its social influence. When alumni take on important responsibilities in major engineering projects and win honors in the field of technological innovation, their achievements are the best proof of the quality of talent cultivation at the school. By promoting these achievements, the college can attract high-quality students, expand cooperative resources, further promote the implementation of the "dual-college collaboration" and "five educations in parallel" talent cultivation system, and supply more high-quality engineering talents to Shantou and the entire country's industrial development.
