Chinese Man Quits Master's Degree, Drops Out Of PhD In US To Start Food Stall

A Chinese man who quit his master's degree and gave up on PhD dreams in the US to launch a street food stall has gone viral on social media. 24-year-old Fei Yu was on course to graduate from the prestigious Fudan University in Shanghai when he decided to take the unconventional decision, according to a report in South China Morning Post.

Prior to the master's degree, Mr Fei, hailing from a poor family, had gained his bachelor's degree in public health from Sichuan University, another top institution in the country. Afterwards, he gained entry to the master's programme, where he only studied for a term.

As per Mr Fei, he could continue his study as he was suffering from depression, insomnia and stomach problems due to mistreatment by his mentor. After a year-long gap year, Mr Fei applied for PhD projects in the US and was admitted with a scholarship to one of the schools. However, the US-China relations and the cutbacks in funding imposed by the new US administration meant that Mr Fei's financial aid was withdrawn.

Unable to study, Mr Fei decided to earn money via a street food stall, having already helped her grandmother sell balloons as a kid. In March this year, Mr Fei started a mashed potato venture by setting up a stall near the gates of his alma mater, Sichuan University.

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Quizzed about the people criticising him for wasting a perfectly good degree and the educational resources to pivot towards an offbeat career, Mr Fei said: "I do not think it is a pity that I discontinued my master's degree studies and did not take up a job related to my major. In my opinion, the result is not so important, but the process is."

As per Mr Fei, customers often queue up outside his stall to buy food, where he is able to earn between Rs 8,200 and Rs 11,700 a day.

"I do not feel embarrassed at all. I am an outgoing person. I think it is a good thing that many people know of my identity and they are curious about me," said Mr Fei.

"If they think the flavour of my food is nice, they will definitely return to buy," he added.