This is the growth story of Wu Zhilin, who is amongst the first batch of undergraduate students of Guangdong Technion – Israel Institute of Technology (GTIIT). She was admitted by the Microbiology in the School of Medicine, Hebrew University, and won the Rector Excellent Scholarship. For her, GTIIT is a place to realize her dream. Starting from GTIIT, she has begun her next journey in Israel.

From GTIIT to Hebrew University

I joined Prof. Ka Yin Leung's laboratory during my undergraduate study at GTIIT. Under the guidance of the senior Ph.D. student in the lab, I participated in a scientific research project, and learned professional knowledge and experimental skills. After the enlightenment at GTIIT, I finally decided to continue my education in the Department of Microbiology at the Hebrew University.

I met professors from various countries and learned their cultures at GTIIT. Therefore, after coming to Israel, I can adapt to the multi-cultural environment more quickly. The English teaching environment at GTIIT also enabled me to communicate in English more smoothly abroad.
GTIIT's teaching system is very similar to that in foreign countries. For example, the experimental course is very helpful - it has comprehensive equipments. When I am doing experiments now, I can get in touch with some instruments and experimental methods that has been introduced in the previous classes, which are still fresh in my memory.

I was admitted as a master's student. A year later, I applied for doctoral studies and am now a first-year Ph.D. student. It will take about 6 years from my master's admission to Ph.D. graduation.

Zhilin's photos in the journey

My life in Israel

It was my first time going abroad and I didn't know much about Israel. I thought most of Israel is desert. Out of my expectation, from Tel Aviv Airport to Jerusalem, although there were many hills and loess, there was a lot of green vegetation along the way. It is completely different from the scenery in Shantou, very beautiful and surprising.

Before I came to Israel, a Chinese senior student in the lab had told me a lot about the life there. On the first day we arrived, he took us to the supermarket to buy the necessities, get phone cards, and eat hamburgers. There are many burger restaurants in Israel, and the meat is fresh and delicious!

desserts made by Zhilin and her roommates

My supervisor was a kind grandfather who helped me with my course registration when I first came here. There was also a senior student who acquainted me with the laboratory and some basic experiments. Lab members are very kind to help me when I meet any problem in scientific research and life. In such a harmonious atmosphere, I was well-adapted to the research life and started my postgraduate journey.

The master's degree in Hebrew University requires 28 credits. In order to apply for a Ph.D. program in the second year, I need to complete 28 credits in one year and have a GPA above 90. The study pressure is very similar to that of the undergraduate study at GTIIT, with 6 or 7 courses in one semester, so classes and examinations cost most of my time in the first year.

Zhilin (right 1 in the front row) with her lab members

I started my own graduate project in the second semester of the first year. At the beginning, I read the literature to learn more about the subject, and then began to design the experiment. I wrote the protocol before each new experiment and asked my supervisor and senior students for advice. In this way, the experiment design can be improved and the purpose can be more accurate and effective. Gradually, I could finish it independently. Most of my experiments required microscope observation. At first, I couldn't even turn on and off the equipment. After more than a year of study, I have been able to operate the microscope skillfully and teach others to how to use it. This is growth!

Zhilin went hiking with her lab members

My feeling for scientific research

Scientific research includes both the lofty and the tedious aspects, as we need to repeat experiments every day. The experiment I did at the very beginning has been repeated for dozens of times, and the protocol has been modified over and over again. Although I haven't got the desired result so far, I have made some progress and got a lot of experience.

I was very depressed after my project was rejected in a meeting with my supervisor. He comforted me - this is exactly scientific research; one failure means nothing. He told me that the project he did in the first two years of his Ph.D. was fruitless, so he spent another two years on the new project and successfully graduated. Most of the students in the lab have encountered the same situation. Failure is a norm in scientific research, and success is the result of hard work and good fortune. This is also the experience that my teachers shared with me when I first involved in scientific research at GTIIT. Their teachings still guide my scientific life and give me more motivation and courage to face unknown challenges.

Zhilin travels to the Dead Sea

Zhilin knows that there is no easy way to scientific research, but she still keeps her original aspiration. May she always retain her curiosity and imagination to explore the unknowns and make great achievements in the future.