As China continuously advances its efforts in polar scientific research, the working and living conditions for polar expedition teams have greatly improved. More female researchers from various fields who share an interest in the polar region are actively joining expeditions and making great contributions.
Gong Huijia, 41, a teacher at Shanghai Maritime University, is among those realizing their dreams. As a pilot of the Chinese icebreaker Xuelong, she joined the sixth Arctic expedition and the 31st Antarctic expedition in 2014.
Compared to Wu, Gong faced much more pressure and bigger daily challenges on board. As an icebreaker pilot, she and her teammates needed to stay focused, make quick and accurate judgments, choose the right paths, and navigate through extreme weather conditions.
