"While they were telling the story, I squirmed uncomfortably in my seat. They had found out I was a fake! So I said, 'John should study history because that's his passion'. After the interview ended, I called my mum and said that I was going to do engineering and that was that."

Cheng was one of five girls out of 50 students in the mechatronics engineering degree program, and she found out later that only 10 percent of engineers in the country are females.

Cheng mooted the idea of Robogals after a university project teaching robotics classes for 12-year-olds.

Toys for big boys and girls

"If we can teach girls at one school, why don't we just teach girls at all the schools?"

Robogals aims to get girls interested in engineering and technology tertiary studies and careers. The primary activity is running robotics workshops for girls using Lego NXT robots, while explaining what engineering is and how engineers make a difference to lives, Cheng says.

Cheng even started a Robogals chapter at Imperial College London while she was on exchange for 10 months there.

At the end of this year, Cheng will pass the Robogals mantle to a successor, and she will launch a robotic-arm company.

Cheng's father came from Guangzhou, and she will be reconnected to China as she plans to manufacture in China.

"Chinese people work hard, study hard, value their elders, and like to eat. I think these are good values, and my mum always reminds me of them."

liwenfang@chinadaily.com.cn