The bell ringing at the end of the Gaokao drew a close to twelve years of hard work. But this is not the end of learning—it is the starting point of self-directed learning and lifelong growth. On this occasion, Prof. Xu Peng, Dean of Research and Professor of the Department of Chemical Engineering of Guangdong Technion – Israel Institute of Technology (GTIIT), shares a heartfelt message with young students—about how education illuminates truth and liberation, and how to become someone who creates, dares to fail, and takes responsibility in an uncertain world.

Here is the text of his sharing:

What was education really for? Not just for a diploma, not just for a job or salary—but for who we become, and what we choose to change. Today I want to talk about education as a force or driver for creation, service, healing, enlightenment, construction, and inclusion—and how all these elements lead to two ultimate goals: truth and liberation.

Let me ask you honestly—are you anxious about the future? If you are, you are not alone. You are not weak. Walter Benjamin once reminds us: no one is fully mature when youth fades, and no one is exhausted at life's starting line.

The cure for anxiety is not certainty. It is creation. Do something creative. Immerse yourself. Listen to your inner voice. Creativity plus belief, plus action— that is how direction is born. That makes your journey meaningful and significant!

We are living in a moment when machines can remember better than us, calculate faster than us. Let me be clear: AI will replace mechanical memorization. That parrot-fashion learning and collector of knowledge is a waste of your creativity. But AI cannot replace creativity. It cannot replace judgment. It cannot replace courage. And it cannot replace responsibility.

The future belongs to people who can think, build, communicate, and lead. This is what GTIIT offers to you. AI is not your enemy. It is a sword placed in your hand. But a sword does not decide why to fight and for whom to fight. You do. I hope what you have acquired at GTIIT will empower your future, and change the world.

Innovation does not move in straight lines. It spirals—sometimes forward, sometimes sideways, sometimes back. The Wright brothers did not start with perfect theory. They started by building something that barely flew. They built something imperfect—and learned from it. Richard Feynman captured this beautifully: "What I cannot create, I do not understand." We build in order to understand. And once we understand, we build it better.

This engineering mindset applies not just to machines—but to careers, societies, and life itself. You stumble, feel lost, ponder and move forward.

Every meaningful journey includes failure. The most successful innovators share one trait: they dare to fail without losing their dignity. The people who eventually change the world are often those with free spirits, who dare to fail honestly, reflect, without losing curiosity or courage. I want to remind you one slogan: Fail small to succeed Big. So I say to you: 向下扎到根，向上捅破天— It means take root deep downward, grow boldly upward to the sky. Only those who grow roots deep enough can reach the sky. Leave a solid footprint and step by step.

There is a fun moment from a MIT professor's retirement ceremony at age 70. A student adds a playful drawing (as below) to a professor's lecture notes. And the professor responds—not with authority, but with humor. This is not trivial. This is inclusion. A culture where students are not afraid of authority, and authorities are not afraid of humanity. When learning becomes joyful, curiosity becomes fearless. This is what GT has offered you.

The "female" icon added by the student on their professor's lecture notes. And the professor responded with the integral symbol from advanced mathematics: sexy.

Inclusion is not a slogan—it is a habit we build early on in the life. My kids are very familiar with Crazy Hair Day and Pajama Day when they are in their elementary schools. These small gestures teach children something profound: You belong before you perform. That lesson stays with them for life. At GTIIT, inclusion is not decoration. It is substantial and real. At GT, we have a very international and diversified community, and a sense of belonging. This is where you become inclusive and find values later on in your career.

What kind of talents does GTIIT aim to cultivate? Engineers who can wear suits—and speak both academic and business languages. But more than that: people who can lead with conscience. Thought-leaders, CEOs and company founders.People who understand justice, sustainability, and humanity. Because intelligence without responsibility is dangerous. And success without values is fragile.

There is an old saying: A mountain does not need to be high; it becomes sacred when fairies dwell. You are the fairies. I once chose a path less traveled. It was uncertain. But it revealed a different horizon. And it made all the difference. We will chase perfection, and we will chase it relentlessly, knowing all the while we can never attain it. But along the way, we shall catch excellence. 

So dream boldly. GTIIT students, —do something real and significant!

Education is not one thing. It has multi-dimensional elements: it creates. It serves. It heals. It enlightens. It builds. And it embraces. When any one of these elements is missing, education will lose its meaning. When these six elements come together, they guide us toward two ultimate goals. Truth—the courage to pursue what is real, not what is convenient. Even when it is uncomfortable. Liberation— freedom from ignorance, prejudice, and fear. And you shall know the truth, and truth will set you free.

Your education did not end at graduation. It lives in every decision you make from this moment on. May you continue to create, serve, heal, enlighten, construct, and embrace. May you seek truth with brave and pursue liberation wholeheartedly. Thank you for carrying this spirit into the world and Change the World.

Text/Photos: Xu Peng, GTIIT News & Public Affairs