PostTime：3/4/2022
Teachers are like a lighthouse, enlightening all the passing generations. In Guangdong Technion – Institute of Technology, language is not a barrier between teachers and students. Teachers devoted themselves to teaching and research, winning many students' respect and love.
We will present a series of interviews with teachers, who will share their insights on education so that more people can get close to GTIIT's classes and teachers and know about its characteristics and educational philosophy.
Dr. Yigal Achmon comes from Israel. He holds a BSc in Biochemistry and Food Science from the Faculty of Agriculture at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a direct Ph.D. in Biotechnology and Food Engineering from the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology. Before joining Guangdong Technion - Israel Institute of Technology (GTIIT) in 2018, he was a postdoctoral researcher at Professor Christopher Simmon's lab at the University of California at Davis and had then done a short postdoctoral at Volacni Israeli agricultural center. He is popular among students and has won GTIIT's "Excellence in Teaching" award.
Here is the interview with Dr. Yigal Achmon.
Why did you choose GTIIT?
Yigal Achmon
When I first came to China, I think Chinese pronunciation is quite difficult; but now I have the Chinese name "依高" given to me by my students and can pronounce it well. I also gave my students Hebrew names in return. Foodwise, I love spicy dishes and hot pots. Shantou is an amazing city with friendly people. In the beginning, I was so busy just finding my place here and didn't have time to explore. When I went to the city, I didn't know how to pay via Wechat or Alipay. Fortunately, a person took me on his bike, sent me to the bank, and helped me take out some money.
Could you use three keywords to describe GTIIT?
My answer is pioneering, innovative, and excellent.
First, GTIIT is the only China-Israel cooperative university of science and technology. Its establishment is unique and pioneering. Second, we develop students' innovative and questioning skills by incorporating the "problem-driven" paradigm. We encourage students to ask questions, think out of the box, and tackle issues from various angles. As for excellence. I always tell my students, "Try to aim higher, otherwise, you will never reach." I hope they will have an excellent academic performance.
Besides all that, I think that GTIIT is a bridge between cultures. There have been many collaborations between China and Israel, among which GTIIT is and will be most active.
Why did you choose to teach in Biotechnology and Food Engineering?
I started by teaching Introduction to Biochemistry and Introduction to Food Engineering in the first year I came to GTIIT. It was very challenging because before that I did some teaching work, but not a lot, and it turned out to be extremely rewarding. It's very interesting to engage with Chinese students, who are quite different from Israeli ones. I'd like to see them develop from being shy and just listening, to being able to conduct amazing projects at the end of the course. We have done the poster presentation project, through which we could see how they think and innovate out of their comfort zone.
Dr. Yigal graded students' posters
Do you think your discipline is more applied or more theoretical?
It's like asking a mother which of your kids you like more. In GTIIT, students will learn both.
In BFE, we give biological solutions to global issues like climate change. The world has no problem continuing without life (e.g. human life, bacteria will probably survive). But as we are supporting life, mainly human life, we want to strive for human well-being in our society. We want people to live a good life – to be healthy, with enough food on their plate and continuing culture. That's our position.
Dr. Achmon shared in CIEF 2021
Our students will get a chance to work on the most important issues for our time. Research in BFE can be generally twofold: on the one hand, we focus on the environment and health. For instance, we are searching how microbes respond to the environment as a general and to human activities; on the other hand, we focus on food. For example, I am doing a research on the food waste produced by organizations. I think this phenomenon will never disappear. As long as people are eating, there will be food waste. What we searching for are smarter ways to use this food waste than just throw it away.
I've always told my students that it is their challenge to tackle those issues, while my challenge is to teach them how important this challenge is and provide them with useful tools to do so. Because otherwise, our next generations would suffer.
What is your teaching philosophy?
As a teacher, my core goals are to transfer knowledge and educate students. Some of my students are also working in my lab, and we are going into a whole different level of interaction, which is extremely exciting. I feel like being a farmer, planting seeds and harvesting crops. It gives me a sense of accomplishment to see them growing from freshmen to real scientists, who are doing interesting projects independently.
Dr. Achmon taught students in Open Day
I encourage my students to explore. As an old saying goes, "give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; give him a fishing rod and you feed him for a lifetime". I try to engage them, spice the contents up with humor to attract students, and create an environment that encourages everyone to share with all the others. When students come and ask questions, even if I know the answer, the first thing I told them is "I don't know", followed with "let's find out together". It is a learning process. I will find some articles, even high-level ones, send those to them, and we solve the question together.
What is the best way to study for your class?
Generally, it's the two things people do all day: reading and thinking. You need to know how to put what you learn into practice so that you can apply it in any sort of a different aspect of the area. More importantly, learn to ask for help. There are always students who are either too shy or too proud to admit they don't know. However, if they don't ask, they won't get the answer. All human beings are making a lot of mistakes. If you don't know something, there will be someone who can help you.
Another thing that you cannot overlook is self-discipline. Today, all kinds of things are distracting you away. Students need to tell themselves that it is now the time to concentrate on learning. Besides, they need to maintain a life-study balance. Students need to spend time doing activities, both physical and social, that can help them complete their tasks more effectively.
Facing many demands on your time, how do you determine your priorities?
Things can be categorized via two standards: important or not; urgent or not. For urgent ones, you must act immediately; for important ones, you have to make ongoing efforts to perform well enough. For students in their freshman year, for instance, study is both urgent and important. Thus, it should be prioritized. There are techniques for improvement but what will work is very dependent on the individual. I am just providing a general direction.
Yigal Achmon
I hope students could find their safe zone and relax. For me, running makes me happy. Some may choose to play instruments or practice meditation.
Overall, I believe that when organizing things, you should consider not only things that are urgent and important but also those things that will help you to improve your mental health. If students are aware of this, they will find a good balance.
Do you have any other suggestions for GTIIT students?
I hope they will be proud of GTIIT. It is their legacy that will determine what this institute will be in the future. I really wish that in 20 years, they can say "I'm from GTIIT" with pride and a sense of accomplishment. I hope GTIIT can be a fertile ground for exciting things.
Text/Photos: GTIIT News & Public Affairs
