The first cohort students were graduated from Guangdong Technion - Israel Institute of Technology this year. The series of interviews with the graduates from Class of 2021 will show their stories with GTIIT in the past four years. Here is the story about Yuan Chunlin, a student of Class of 2021 from Chemical Engineering Program.

Name: Yuan Chunlin

High School: Guangdong Experimental High School

Program: Chemical Engineering

Received offers from: National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, The University of Edinburgh, The University of Manchester, University of Glasgow

Awards：

• Founder of GTIIT's literature club- The Monologist and won the 2018 GTIIT Outstanding Student Association Award

• 2020 GTIIT Student Leadership Scholarship

• Bronze Award of the 12th Challenge Cup of Guangdong University Student Entrepreneurship Competition

• Participation Award of the 10th Mathorcup National College Students Mathematical Modeling Contest

As a student who loves science and literature, Yuan Chunlin is able to switch freely between the rigorous logic and romantic text. He has ideas, visions, enthusiasm and actions for his future and can move steadily towards his goals.

Hold your dream and strive for it

"Take action to realize one's own dream" is Chunlin's biggest gain in the past four years as the first cohort student at GTIIT. "A lot of things are waiting for us to create. This is both an opportunity and a challenge. We can use our imagination and creativity, while learn to overcome difficulties at the same time." He quotes a sentence from his favorite CBA official documentary to spur himself- how good your time is, it's a pity if you don't strive for it.

Holding activities to enrich the students' life is one of Yuan Chunlin's main responsibilities as a resident assistant. This experience also leaves a deep impression on him. In the second semester of the sophomore year, Chunlin and his friends were puzzled about their future studies and career. They hoped to get some suggestions and learn from the experiences from teachers at GTIIT. "At that time, I heared from my classmates that Prof. Huang Kai is willing to talk with students and share learning experience with them, but we don't know each other. I plucked up the courage to send him an email and invite him to give a lecture on career development for students majored in science and engineering programs, and he agreed readily. In the end, the lecture attracted more than 100 students and received many positive responses."

Literature and football are my hobbies

As a student from Chemical Engineering Program, Chunlin is good at using mathematical logic to explain the principles and mysteries of the things in nature. He also likes reading books about history and geography and loses himself in the charm of literature and poetry.

As one of the founders of GTIIT's literature club- The Monologist, Yuan Chunlin and his teammates actively planned various activities, held reading salons and lectures, interviewed GTIIT’s teachers and published the articles on the club’s Wechat account. "Dr. Connie, who teaches Communication in English, is amiable and very popular with the students. So I hope to interview her and learn more about her experience. She agrees readily, and the article has also received great feedback. This interview also benefits me a lot. I learn the positive and optimistic attitude from Connie. I gradually realize that when encountered difficulties, instead of waiting for help, it is better to take the initiative to look for opportunities and try hard without leaving any regrets."

Chunlin is also a member of GTIIT's first football team and served as the starting goalkeeper. He missed the days with his teammates on the field and the wonderful moments when he saved a penalty kick. "These are my great memories at GTIIT." He said.

the moment of Yuan Chunlin saving a penalty kick

Actions speak louder than words

"I often ask myself if I really love the program of chemical engineering and does this program really suit me? However, these questions were answered during the summer holiday of my junior year." Yuan Chunlin joined Prof. Zhong Ziyi's research group to study the project of "Using porous materials to catalyze the degradation of formaldehyde under light and heat conditions." 

This experience not only improved his professional ability, but also made him admire the spirit of perseverance of his teacher and seniors. "I learn about analysis methods for characterization, learn to look up English literature efficiently, design my own research based on the literature, and how to use the experimental instruments. Gradually, I've found a sense of accomplishment in the laboratory. I am happy for every successful sample synthesis, and I will also take the initiative to search information and ask the seniors in order to improve the catalytic efficiency of the sample. Although I've only achieved some trivial results, it is inspiring to keep me moving forward."

Opportunities always favor those who are prepared. Yuan Chunlin believes that being able to be admitted to his dream universities has something to do with his planning in advance and step-by-step implementation. "I decided to go abroad for further study in my sophomore year, so I took the IELTS test first in the summer of 2019. I also collected relevant information about each target university, and had a clear understanding of the application process. During the Spring Festival in 2020, I browsed the programs and courses, career planning, alumni career development and other information on the websites of my target universities in detail. I also got a general understanding of the distribution of well-known companies in the chemical industry in Asia. I found that most of them were concentrated in the Yangtze River Delta region, especially Shanghai. So, during the Passover holiday this year, I went to Shanghai to step on several famous chemical companies to see what the R&D department in chemical companies look like."

In this September, Chunlin will pursue the master's degree of Industrial Chemistry Program at the National University of Singapore-Technical University of Munich joint program. "The main reason for choosing this project is that it is a two-year project. In the second year, I can intern in a company or join the research project with a professor. I plan to use the internship opportunity to learn about real chemical manufacturing in a chemical company. I will also explore the direction of my Ph.D. according to the actual needs of the enterprise at the same time. In the future, I would like to produce something that are not limited to the laboratory and can be applied to real life. After studying, I tend to pursue my career in the R&D department of a well-known chemical company."

Yuan Chunlin suggests that the junior students communicate more with their teachers and classmates. "There are many valuable resources at GTIIT, and there is a lot to learn from the teachers who have rich teaching and life experiences. Some courses are not easy, so group discussion is a good way to solve them, and you can also get inspiration from the discussions with your classmates." He also says it is important to learn how to use the Internet efficiently to gather information. "Search the industry related information, including policy orientation, popular research direction and graduates' career development. It is helpful to clarify your own idea."

Yuan Chunlin (left) with his friend

Text: GTIIT News & Public Affairs

Photos: Yuan Chunlin, GTIIT News & Public Affairs