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| Idol Meets Academia: Feng Yuwen Becomes Siba Media’s Highest-Educated Artist (Photo: Sohu) |
GNZ48 member Feng Yuwen is trending for all the right reasons after confirmation that she has been offered a direct PhD placement at Tsinghua University, one of China’s most elite institutions. The news instantly sparked wide discussion across fan circles and social platforms, placing the spotlight on an idol who is balancing a rising entertainment career with a seriously heavyweight academic background.
Feng Yuwen, a new-generation member under Siba Media, has been listed as a prospective direct PhD candidate in Chemical Engineering and Technology at Tsinghua University. If final reviews are cleared, she will officially begin her doctoral studies in the second half of 2026, with graduation expected between 2030 and 2031.
This milestone makes her the artist with the highest academic background in Siba Media’s history so far.
Her academic résumé explains why the news hit so hard. Feng is a graduate of Dalian University of Technology, widely recognised as one of China’s top engineering universities.
During her undergraduate years, she scored above 90 in 29 courses, ranked second in her major, and received first-tier academic scholarships for two consecutive years. She was also named an Outstanding Graduate at provincial level and earned her university’s Top Ten Student title.
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Beyond grades, Feng Yuwen has proven her leadership and research capability. She served as the lead of a national-level student innovation project and guided her team to a second-place finish at a national chemical engineering design competition.
Her direct PhD admission score reportedly stood at 80.03, and in that intake year, only two students were accepted into the programme, highlighting how competitive the selection was.
What makes her story even more striking is that academics were never her only lane.
While at university, Feng Yuwen actively took on leadership roles including cheerleading club president and class secretary, while regularly performing in campus arts events.
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Her teams won multiple university-level awards, showing that stage presence and leadership were already part of her toolkit long before joining GNZ48.
Feng made her first public appearance as a GNZ48 trainee in February 2026, and her statement that “academics and being an idol are both my first choice” quickly circulated online.
Rather than treating one path as a backup, she has positioned both as equally important, a mindset that many young fans found refreshing.
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Fan and netizen reactions have been mixed but intense. Supporters praise her as a real-life example of breaking stereotypes, saying she proves idols can be intellectually strong without losing artistic passion.
Many fans describe her as “raising the ceiling” for the idol industry and giving students confidence that they do not have to choose between dreams.
On the other hand, some netizens are cautiously sceptical. Discussions have popped up around how she will manage the workload of a demanding PhD programme alongside GNZ48 activities, especially with the geographical split between Beijing and Guangzhou. Others are watching closely to see how Siba Media will support her long-term dual-track development.
What do you think matters more, balance or focus, and would you support idols taking unconventional paths like hers?