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.

Tang Qizhe

High School:

Hebei Shijiazhuang No.2 Middle Experimental School

Program:

Materials Science and Engineering

Awards:

National Scholarship (2022)

Vice President's Commendation List (2020/2021/2022)

Academic Excellence Scholarship (2020/2021)

Public Service Scholarship (2020)

Chancellor's Scholarship (2019)

Offers:

McGill University (Full scholarship PhD)

Monash University (Full Scholarship PhD)

University of Alberta (Full scholarship PhD)

Imperial College of Technology, ETH Zurich, ETH Lausanne, Cornell University, Columbia University, University of Pennsylvania, Weizmann Institute of Science, etc.

Choose GTIIT, explore infinity

In this year's graduate school application, Tang Qizhe got offers from multiple top universities around the world and finally decided to pursue his PhD at Monash University, one of the top 100 universities in the world, located in Australia.

Tang graduated from Shijiazhuang No. 2 Middle Experimental School. Four years ago, based on his education perspective and recognition of Israel's “Chutzpah” spirit, he boldly chose to study at GTIIT, which he described as a "hidden pearl" when there were no graduates at that time. Today, the "pearl" shines brightly, and he has realized his dream - to enter a famous university.

Tang believes that he is favored by prestigious universities mainly because the platform of GTIIT has the following qualities:

Firstly, the advanced teaching concept. The “knowledge triangle” model combines education, research and innovation, and the caliber of graduates from the Technion (the main campus, the U.S. campus and the China campus) enjoys a high reputation worldwide.

Secondly, the superior research conditions. GTIIT places great emphasis on research. Undergraduates can join professors' research groups, together with master's and doctoral students, and can access highly sophisticated research instruments and “one-on-one” mentorship, which gives them a unique advantage to apply for a master's degree or even a PhD.

Thirdly, students become the real protagonists and are taught according to their abilities, with high respect for their interests and personalities. During the university, Tang has a strong interest in mathematics, and experienced the difficult choice of “switching from materials to mathematics and then back to materials”. The school and the university have given full understanding and support to the educational philosophy of “people-oriented and sincere support for students to explore their interests”.

Tang Qizhe is sharing his experience in PhD application

Tang Qizhe is very glad that he made the decision to enroll in GTIIT, and his four years of study have created unlimited possibilities for his future.

Steady as a rock, overcome the odds

Tang's style of thinking and questioning fits well with the DNA of the Technion. In the same frequency resonance, he happily wandered in the ocean of knowledge and showed excellent learning ability, and started his application journey to the top overseas universities with the top GPA in his major.

In terms of research, he credits his research achievements to teamwork, mentorship, and advanced instrumentation in the lab. He joined Prof. Xie Zuoti's group as a research assistant in his sophomore year, and in his junior year, it became a regular practice to stay in the lab for 12 hours to conduct experimental research. As the leader of the project team, he has repeatedly broken through bottleneck barriers and demonstrated his innovative ability to solve practical problems.

Tang mentioned that his lab research covered a wide range of scientific fields, fully reflecting the advantages of cross-discipline, which helped him obtain a PhD offer in ECE (Electrical and Computer Engineering) from McGill University and a master's offer in ECE from Georgia Institute of Technology. At the same time, the faculty of the Learning and Career Development Centre provided him with abundant resources and facilities to help him complete the whole process of applying for graduate school independently.

Sharing with others 

Tang Qizhe not only focuses on his own learning and growth but also shares knowledge, showing that he is knowledgeable and willing to help others.

After the establishment of the Peer Tutor (PT) program, he actively applied to be a PT for several years. In order to facilitate academic exchanges among different grades, he set up a 200-member learning platform to provide learning materials and share learning experiences, which was unanimously recognized by teachers and students. In addition, inspired by his friends, Tang Qizhe created a Bilibili account and tried to live lecturing for a period of time, which was widely recognized and has accumulated 6,000+ fans.

Love life and care about hometown

Mr. Tang Qizhe is a person who enjoys life. He enjoys the inspiration that comes when he travels alone, and has written the most liberal footnotes to his youth with "just travel" countless times. Each train ticket is a measurement of the vast land and an exploration of the heart and the world. This positive attitude and open-mindedness have brought more opportunities and growth for his academic and personal development.

He is also very active in campus and club activities. He has served as an IT assistant and canteen assistant, enthusiastically serving the students and teachers of GTIIT; he was the head of the academic department of the ACE Business Club of GTIIT, exploring the field of innovation and entrepreneurship with students; he also participated in the English dubbing contest of GTIIT and won the second place with outstanding performance......

Tang Qizhe won 2nd place in the English dubbing contest

Tang is grateful to each of his alma mater and hopes to give back to his hometown and introduce this precious university to more students. He took the initiative to participate in the 2023 Hebei enrollment activities and returned to his former high school, so that the bright "pearl" of GTIIT can get more attention to the excellent students of Shijiazhuang No.2 Middle Experimental School, and built a bridge of friendship between the two unique and excellent schools.

Tang Qizhe returned to his high school to make an admissions presentation 

The young man who rides the wind and waves, writes ambition with youth. Tang Qizhe has not failed to live up to the starlight and glory of GTIIT, and has opened a path to more possibilities with his efforts. May he continue to carry his dreams and warmth to light up the path of himself and others as always.

Text: GTIIT Career & Learning Center

Photos: Tang Qizhe