Chinese graduate quits top university, PhD plan to start mashed potato stall: ‘I don’t feel embarrassed’

A 24-year-old man from China has become popular on social media after quitting his master’s degree at Fudan University in Shanghai to open a street food stall. Fei Yu’s decision has attracted attention, with many people talking about his story online.

Fei grew up in a poor family in Leshan, Sichuan province. Despite his humble beginnings, he worked hard to get into Sichuan University, where he studied public health and graduated first in his class. His impressive academic record helped him secure a place at Fudan University’s graduate school without needing to take an entrance exam, according to a report by the South China Morning Post.

However, after just one term at Fudan, Fei decided to leave. He said that the pressure from his studies, along with depression, insomnia, and stomach problems, made it impossible for him to continue. He also mentioned mistreatment from his mentor but did not name the teacher involved. “I could not continue my study any longer,” he explained.

After staying at home for a year, Fei applied for PhD programmes in preventive medicine in the United States. He was accepted with a scholarship, but funding cuts during Donald Trump’s presidency meant that the school withdrew its financial support. Fei was then unable to afford his studies abroad.

Coming from a simple background—his father worked as a coal miner and his mother did various odd jobs—Fei decided to try something different. He remembered selling balloons with his grandmother as a child and working in part-time sales during university. He decided to start his own business and opened a mashed potato stall near Fudan University on 10 March.

“So far, the business performance has been satisfactory,” Fei said, explaining that he earns between 700 and 1,000 yuan (around US$100–140) a day. His food has become popular, and customers often line up to buy it.

Fei has no regrets about his decision. “I do not feel embarrassed at all. I am an outgoing person,” he said. “If they think the flavour of my food is nice, they will definitely return to buy.”

Although some critics believe he has wasted his education, Fei disagrees. “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.”

Fei spends around four hours every day preparing food before opening his stall at 5pm. He often sells out within two to three hours. “It is exhausting. But I do not have any psychological pressure from academic studies. Extracting myself from studying or doing science research, I feel I have entered a new world,” Fei said.