Jian Bangxing embarked on a journey to pursue his academic dreams four years ago, eventually finding himself at Guangdong Technion – Israel Institute of Technology (GTIIT). The institution’s innovative education mode and diverse faculty, coupled with Technion’s well-established international reputation, intrigued him.

Four years later, his hard work paid off, as he published an article as the first author and received an offer to the Technion’s master’s program. He expressed, “GTIIT was the stage to realize my dream!”

JIAN Bangxing

Program: Chemical Engineering

High School: 

Nanhai Experimental High School, the Affiliated High School of South China Normal University

Offer:

Technion - Israel Institute of Technology

Carnegie Mellon University

Washington University in St. Louis

Purdue University

The University of Edinburgh

National University of Singapore

University College London

Technische Universiteit Delft

Roam in ocean of science

The new chemical engineering industry is interdisciplinary – involving organic synthesis, pharmaceuticals, electric energy storage, reactor, carbon dioxide capture, and more. Jian describes what he learned at GTIIT to be divided into two main aspects: the traditional direction with a focus on fundamental principles, applications, and process design; and the environmental-based courses that delve into three complex systems of water, land and air, studying real-life concerns like the cause of smog and biochemical oxygen demand in water. “Chemical Engineering Program (CE)’s curriculum is a perfect blend of core principles and enriched content, allowing me to immerse myself in study and steadily seek my interests,” Jian explains.

With the drive to pursue his interests, Jian took the opportunity of a specialized elective course to join associate professor Gao Xi’s research group in his junior year. He carried的 out the research project measuring non-spherical particle dynamics in a discharge hopper and was mainly responsible for setting up the experiment system, conducting experiments and processing data. The results of this study provide helpful guidance for industrial applications and provide experiment data for computational model validation.

Jian and Associate Professor Gao

After completing the experiment, associate professor Gao recognized the potential of Jian’s research and encouraged him to submit it for publication. Jian spent his summer vacation reading up on the literature, putting in efforts refining the manuscript and after six months of review and revision, the article was eventually accepted for publication in Advanced Powder Technology (IF=4.96). This is also a boost to his further study application.

“I never thought I’d publish an article as the first author during my undergraduate studies,” Jian said. Crediting his success to his mentor’s guidance and the university’s sufficient resources and experimental instruments, Jian felt lucky to have had plenty of opportunities to put knowledge into practice. With the guidance of his mentor and seniors, he learned how to source the equipment, select particles and process data – all of which amounted to valuable experience. Going through the publication process also gave him a firmer grasp of the finer details of research.

"Encouragement fuels me"

Jian wasn’t confident when he first entered university, surrounded by many outstanding peers. However, the unique teaching styles of GTIIT instructors, who come from different parts of the world, and their passion for education kindled his passion for learning. “Our teachers are strict but kind, offering meticulous guidance alongside high standards and requirements. In class, they encouraged us to ask bravely, and generously share their knowledge with us,” Jian said. Immersed in this supportive atmosphere, Jian gained the impetus to chase his dreams. “I’ve become more passionate about learning and aspire to comprehend everything thoroughly.”

Jian and Dr. Paraskevas

Jian is grateful to his parents for their unwavering support, which has propelled him further in his journey of academic research. “My father is a university professor. He once told me that learning is like hunting,” Jian shared. “During your undergraduate studies, someone will teach you how to use tools and where to hunt. During your master’s, you will learn to find prey yourself. And when you reach your doctorate, you may not even have the tool – it is up to you to find or make it.” The words encouraged Jian, and he is eager to continue exploring in a specific field.

Jian and his parents

His roommates and friends have brought him constant comfort and encouragement during his struggles, cheering him up and spurring him to start over again.

Perseverance, active communication and time management are Jian’s advice to juniors. In his own experience, Jian has found sports to be a good way to unwind the stresses of intense studying. Whether on the basketball or volleyball court, you can see Jian running up and down.

With the invaluable experiences he gained at GTIIT, Jian will sail on a new journey exploring new frontiers at Technion.

Text: GTIIT News & Public Affairs

Photos: Jian Bangxing