"Have you watched the movie Ne Zha 2?"

"How nice is DeepSeek to use?"

On March 10th, Prof. Lin Danming, Pro-Vice Chancellor and Secretary of General Party Branch Committee of Guangdong Technion – Israel Institute of Technology (GTIIT), delivered an inspiring lecture for the students at the Auditorium of GTIIT South Campus. From China's latest animated blockbuster Ne Zha 2, to the disruptive AI product DeepSeek, and to the motivating 2025 National Two Sessions, a series of vivid cases encouraged the students to take an active part in the new semester's learning and practices.

The discussion of "developing new quality productive forces" and "fully implementing the strategy of invigorating China through science and education and boosting the overall performance of China's innovation system" in the 2025 government work report, not only outline the blueprint for the country's high-quality development but also point out the direction for young students to strive towards.

To foster a virtuous cycle of independent technological innovation and self-driven talent development, education must further strengthen its leading and foundational role. "As a Sino-foreign cooperative university of science and engineering, GTIIT serves as a fusion base for Chinese and Western technological elements, deeply rooted in local Chinese practices. In our universtiy, faculty guide students through rich social practices, enabling them to understand the realities of townships and factories and to integrate this knowledge with their academic learning. This exemplifies the guiding and foundational role of education." Prof. Lin Danming encouraged the students to seize the opportunities of the times, hone their skills in studies, forge ahead in the wave of technological innovation, and contribute their wisdom and strength of STEM students to achieve high-level technological self-reliance and self-improvement.

The global box office miracle of "Ne Zha 2" on the screen quickly caught the attention of the students. The collective effort of over 4,000 animators has resulted in a masterpiece of Chinese animated film since the past five years. This animated film showcases the vitality, influence and charm of Chinese culture to the world through innovative expressions of traditional Chinese elements. "As STEM students, we also learn a lot from it, including teamwork and the inheritance and innovation of Chinese culture in scientific research."

At the beginning of 2025, the open-source AI model DeepSeek, created by a young domestic team in China, made a sensational debut globally. It broke the monopoly of international giants, overcame technical bottlenecks, and showcased the spirit of self-reliance and inclusiveness of Chinese technology to the world. Prof. Lin Danming explained the significance of DeepSeek from the perspectives of business and industry ecology, as well as its major breakthroughs in lowering technical thresholds and costs, promoting application diversity, stimulating the development of the computing power industry, and optimizing data processing. "The strength of the youth signifies the strength of China. As students of science and engineering, always remember to boldly scale the heights of scientific research, and embrace hardships without fear. Carry the nation in your hearts while keep a global perspective and closely align personal growth with the needs of our country, especially after you finish your studies. This is the mission and responsibility entrusted to your generation."

This spring, Chinese youth have harnessed both the hard power of technology and the soft power of culture to amplify the voice of China on the global stage, which deeply inspired GTIIT students. "From cultural confidence to building a technologically strong nation, this lecture has deepened my understanding of our country's development strategy in the modernization process. Whether it's Ne Zha 2 or DeepSeek, both reflect the immense potential and energy of our nation. The report from the National Two Sessions further highlighted the significant investment our country is making in technological advance," said Wang Wenhao, a Cohort 2023 student. "This lecture was very inspiring and gave me a strong boost of motivation in science and engineering studies."

Text/Photos: GTIIT News & Public Affairs