This summer, the Class of 2023 will graduate from Guangdong Technion – Israel Institute of Technology (GTIIT). They have big dreams and thirst for knowledge; they keep their eyes on the stars, but feet on the ground. The young "Aspirants" grow from GTIIT to a wider world. Let's follow the interview series of the graduates from the Class of 2023 to know their stories.

Name：Zheng Yu

Program：Materials Science and Engineering

High School：Nantong High School

Offers: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; University of California, Los Angeles; Columbia University; University of Southern California; National University of Singapore

Zheng Yu is a student from cohort 2019 majoring in Materials Science and Engineering at GTIIT. "Fulfilling”and“efficient" are the keywords of his university life. He is highly self-disciplined. In addition to maintaining excellent academic performance, he joined two research groups and completed his program thesis in his junior year. Apart from his academic pursuits, he loves music and is the Head of GTIIT Chorus and its Bass Part, actively participating in weekly rehearsals. His hard work and dedication have paid off, as he got offers from many well-known universities. Undoubtedly, Zheng had a bright future.

Specific Goal, Clear Plan

"I have been determined to go abroad for postgraduate study and continue to pursue the path of scientific research since I was in high school. I have also heard about the prestigious reputation of the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology." Talking about the reasons for choosing GTIIT, Zheng Yu said that the university's English-medium teaching method and international faculty are matched with his own plans. With the support of his parents, he went to Guangdong from Jiangsu and started a four-year journey.

After coming to GTIIT, Zheng Yu, who is used to intense study in high school, quickly adapted to the study pace here. In the first two years, he still maintained his routine of going to bed early and getting up early, and arranged his study time to the full. "When you get used to getting up early, you will find that there is a lot of time available in the day. With this much time, why don’t you try to learn more so that the pressure will be much less in your senior years?" This "sweet before bitter" learning mode gave him more time to plan his future.

Devote to scientific research

Breakthrough himself

"Because of the busy coursework in the first and second year, I started to join the research groups until my junior year. But it was this experience that benefited me a lot." Under the guidance of his supervisor, Zheng Yu began his research in the field of non-contact characterization of materials. "The point of this research is not only on measuring the elastic parameters of materials, but also on how to obtain data through videos or some other ways without touching materials. It has great practical significance for materials that cannot be exposed to air or are flammable." Through the research, Zheng Yu determined the direction of his program thesis.

“Welcome to the world of science" is a phrase that Zheng Yu still vividly remembers. It is what his supervisor said to him after countless nights of using various software to eliminate wrong data and complete the thesis. It was not an easy feat to complete the thesis and project in the junior year. While focusing on the regular courses, Zheng Yu had to spend a lot of time on the experiments related to the thesis. "My supervisor's words showed his recognition of our research level, which made me feel that all my efforts were worthwhile." This busy but fulfilling time laid the foundation for Zheng Yu's scientific research.

In his senior year, Zheng Yu joined the research group of Associate Professor Elissaios Stavrou and began the research on extreme materials. This experience gave him a deeper understanding of the materials science. "At first I thought it was primarily focused on the synthesis of materials. But after four years of study and scientific research, I realize it is much more than this. In addition to synthesis, their characterization, structure, and physical properties are all covered in this field."

His extensive experience helps him a lot for the application. With offers from world-renowned universities such as Columbia University, National University of Singapore, and University of California, Los Angeles, Zheng Yu ultimately chose to study composite materials at the University of Michigan.

Sing aloud, Let the dream fly

Zheng Yu’s talents extend beyond study and research, as he also shines in singing. As the head of the GTIIT Chorus, he knows everything about it.

Zheng Yu was a member of the chorus in high school. His experience enabled him to be the male bass minister since his sophomore year. "At that time, there were few members in the chorus. Because of their busy schedule, more members chose to leave." After a year, Zheng Yu became the head of the chorus. "At that time, the chorus had fewer than 20 members, and they were not very enthusiastic about weekly training." Zheng Yu put a lot of efforts on it and recruited nearly 20 students to the chorus after he became the leader. He also set himself a good example. Except for special circumstances such as illness or exam conflicts, he never missed a weekly training." Chorus is one of my true passions and every minute devoted to it is valuable to me."

As a senior, Zheng Yu also shared his learning tips. "The first is to choose a learning mode that suits you. If you still maintain the learning rhythm of high school, and you don't feel uncomfortable in the preparatory semester, then this learning mode is suitable for you. Otherwise, you should give yourself more time to adapt and adjust. The second is to pay attention to the elective courses, which will also be included in your total grades. Don’t neglect elective courses and spend all your time on compulsory courses.”

Text: GTIIT News & Public Affairs

Photos:Zheng Yu

Video: GTIIT Youth League Committee