A Tsinghua University graduate, a Mr World finalist, a model and a trader at a top commercial bank, Zhou Shuangjian has credentials as impressive as his 1.9-metre frame. Vivien Cui talks to a man who balances mind and body
Q: Why would a Tsinghua University science graduate and trader embark on a career as a model?
A: It was all by accident. When I was an undergraduate in electrical engineering, I only weighed 59kg. I was so bony that my teachers joked that I would be blown away by a strong wind. I felt quite embarrassed and started to work out. After four years of exercise, people noticed the improvement in my physical appearance.
In the summer of 2000, a day before I was to leave the campus for good, my younger brother, Zhou Shuangjie , who was also a Tsinghua student then, was helping me pack and clean the dormitory. He happened to see an advertisement in a newspaper for a modelling contest. He said I should apply and I did.
Q: How did you do in the contest?
A: I won first place in the Beijing stage in the New Silk Road Model Contest. I was the oldest of all the contestants and had the most education. It felt like a door to a new world was opening for me. It was then that I fell in love with the catwalk.