This summer, the Class of 2023 graduated 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.

In daily life, he is a multiple talent. He actively took part in various activities, such as playing the saxophone, skateboarding, long-distance running and the X-culture project. In study, he always tries his best, achieving good grades with a GPA of 90+ and receiving offers from many world-renowned universities such as ETH Zurich, Cornell University, University of Pennsylvania, Delft University of Technology and so on. Throughout his university time, he kept trying and found his own academic path.

Adjust himself and 

back on top form

"My high school advocates that students should have global views. This is why I was particularly interested in experiencing something different from the domestic teaching model, especially a different culture. And this is exactly what GTIIT offers," says Ningyuan, who attributes his determination to this young university’s International teaching model and faculty. After coming to GTIIT, he quickly adapted to the English-medium teaching method with the help of preparatory semester courses. However, the rich and colourful campus life made him encounter a lot of difficulties in balancing life and study.

"In the first year of university, I didn’t prioritize my studies; all I wanted to do was playing. I took part in many activities that I am interested in. However, it was not until the second year that I realized that there were many things to do in my studies. I need to finish my class projects and experiments, and I need to spend more time on my homework." The pressure of study in the second year made Ningyuan realize that in order to pursue his dream of studying abroad, he urgently needed to change.

"The second year was a turning point for me. I gave up many extracurricular activities and focused on my studies. From Monday to Friday, my schedule was filled with classes, and even on weekends, I devoted my time for homework and projects." No pain no gain. With the help of teachers and friends, he gradually made up the knowledge he missed and his grades also caught up. "At GTIIT, you do face a lot of pressures, but they are nothing more than exams and homework. As long as you study hard and try your best, you can overcome these difficulties. You can be the best if you want." Fuelled by this mindset, Ningyuan applied to study the course of the senior year in his junior year, so that his time arrangement became more flexible.

Good teachers and friends 

create a bright future

During his undergraduate period, Ningyuan joined Associate Professor Qi Yuanshen’s research group to do the project in the fields of thin film materials. "Dr. Qi is a very charismatic teacher. His kindness and seriousness left me a deep impression during the first class. Although he is very busy in his research, he still pays much attention on every student in his group."

In Ningyuan’s eyes, Dr. Qi is not only his "guide" in research but also a "beacon" when he is confused. "I was unsure if my current choice is correct or not, and I also don’t know whether I should keep following my current plan." In order to solve this, Dr. Qi talked with him several times and drew from his personal experience to give Ningyuan some suggestions. As for Ningyuan’s further direction, Dr. Qi also finds some friends in related fields to discuss with Ningyuan and help him find the way that most suitable for him.

Ningyuan also feel grateful for his friends'help. "The first time I came to GTIIT, I met many like-minded friends, including my roommates. We studied together and encouraged each other. Although we are in different programs, studying together always gave me more motivation. One of my roommates and I both got the offers from Cornell University, so this summer we will go together for our further study."

Balance study and life, 

start a wonderful university life

"No matter how heavy the academic pressure is, you must balance your study and life." This is Ningyuan’s advice for juniors, and also a conclusion of his GTIIT life. He still remembers his experience of X-culture project. "This is an international event that recruits participants all over world. There were five members in our team from five different countries, including the United States, France and Sweden. We worked together to finish a business plan." Ningyuan said that the business projects of this event are all based on real-life cases. He was responsible for writing a Social App development plan in his team. "During this process, you need to consider many factors such as the marketing position, product analysis, promotion plan, customer group and so on. You can not only learn a lot of business-related knowledge after finishing the project, but also improve your English skills and learn about interesting cultures when communicating with your teammates."

In addition to the business project, Ningyuan also took part in the 1500-meter long-distance race, the GTIIT summer party, Campus Environmental Protection Cultural Festival, the skateboard club and also basketball and badminton training. He is also the peer tutor for cohort 2022, helping them with their study.

Through constant trying and exploration, Ningyuan found his direction and also gained a colourful university life. Ningyuan shared his application suggestion with young GTers, "Try various activities to enrich your experience; join the professor's research group as soon as possible to accumulate scientific research experience; and start preparing for the language test in advance to leave time for improvement. These can help you get more offers from world-renowned universities in your application."