This summer, the Class of 2025 will graduate from Guangdong Technion – Israel Institute of Technology (GTIIT), carrying with them the wisdom and courage forged in university to embrace infinite possibilities. At GTIIT, they have persevered through challenges brought by the pandemic, conquered academic puzzles, broadened international horizons, celebrated cultural richness, and discovered their true passions, showcasing the exemplary spirit of "Dream it. Do it." through each innovative practice.

GTIIT is launching a series of interviews featuring the Class of 2025 undergraduates. Let's delve into these powerful stories of passion and perseverance, and witness how their defining moments of efforts blossom into fruition.

Name：Zhang Liyun

High School：Bengbu No. 2 Middle School, Anhui Province

Program：Mechanical Engineering and Robotics (MER)

Award：Program Head’s List （2021-2022）

Offers：Johns Hopkins University, Northwestern University, University of Washington, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Boston University

A visit during high school sparked Liyun’s dream. After Gaokao, she chose GTIIT’s Mechanical Engineering and Robotics (MER) program and became one if its first cohort students. In four years, late–night dorm and labs saw her effort. Now, her dream paid off with an offer in medical robotics of the Mechanical Engineering program from Johns Hopkins University.

“I’ve been into mechanics since childhood. I got a chance to visit a medical device company in high school, where I saw surgical robots that highly attacked me.” This experience planted a seed of interest in Liyun’s heart. After Gaokao, she firmly chose GTIIT’s MER program. “I prefer exploring new things and experiencing different cultures. So, a Sino-foreign cooperative university suits me well. Moreover, GTIIT’s small-class teaching model is good for our personalized development.”     

Like most freshmen, language is the first problem Liyun had to overcome at GTIIT. “At first, I struggled a lot. Fortunately, the preparatory semester was all about high school knowledge, giving me enough timee to adapt.” During that semester, she realized the importance of previewing lessons, which became her secret to quickly break the language barrier. “I’d go through the PPT in advance and look up new words. Once you master them, you will find English lectures aren't scary at all.”

“Everyone works hard in our program. In such an environment, you naturally want to learn,” said Liyun. Regarding her four–year plan, she admitted she knew how hard it was before choosing this major. “The first two years are about building a foundation with math and science. Though hard and boring, you must fully understand it and solve the problems in the textbook. That’s how you prepare for exploring your interests later on.”

“I initially thought MER would involve more hands–on work. However, I soon realized that this major at GTIIT is far more in–depth than I thought.” The curriculum requires students to study a large amount of math and science, code–editing and the fundamentals of mechanics. “This major breaks down a complex robot into many small parts. We learn the principles of each part before mastering the whole. Only with a solid theoretical foundation can we truly understand and solve real-world engineering challenges, laying the groundwork for future innovation.”

“At GTIIT, students feel they may lag behind if they don’t join research groups,” said Liyun. After getting through the basic courses, she began to look for her interests. “I’ve joined three professors’ research groups by active applications. I want to explore all the fields that catch my interest to have a clearer goal for my future academic pursuit.”

In the second semester of her sophomore year, Liyun joined the research group of Associate Professor Wang Zhujiang. Over the following year, she started from the basics, designing an artificial knee joint for the disabled, creating auxetic structures, and simulating their real deformation in the human body. This experience clarified her research direction. In her junior year, to delve deeper into Ansys software for fluid simulation, she joined the research group of Associate Professor Kumaran Kannaiyan. In the first semester of her senior year, while others were busy with graduation and applications, she kept learning magnetic forces on beads under varying voltages in the research group of Associate Professor Andrea Cioncolini.

“Don’t be afraid of rejection, being proactive creates opportunities. At GTIIT, teachers are always eager to help if you ask.” Liyun has learned the importance of taking initiative. “I once took a course with an Italian teacher. At first, I had trouble with it. After I gave him the feedback, he offered an extra hour of free classes weekly to help us adapt quickly.”

Over the four years at GTIIT, Liyun has grown from being shy to confident. “Before entering this university, I was an introvert. But GTIIT’s question–encouraging mode changed me.” Although several years past, Liyun still remembered the time when she went to her preparatory semester English teacher for chats in her roommate’s encouragement. “During that time, my oral English improved rapidly, and I became much more outgoing.”

Despite her busy schedule, Liyun actively expanded her interests during free time. She joined GTIIT swimming team and trained once or twice a week. She also worked as a peer mentor and peer tutor, helping younger students out of puzzles. Additionally, she became a student ambassador, assisting with GTIIT recruitment activities, and helped teachers collect information on universities applications at the Career Learning Center.

“Initially, I joined admission activities to attract outstanding students to GTIIT with my own experience. In the end, I learned more. Once, a parent with in-depth understanding of Israel's education system offered me advice that I found highly beneficial for my future.”