This summer, the Class of 2024 will graduate from Guangdong Technion – Israel Institute of Technology (GTIIT). Despite the COVID-19 Pandemic and the running difficulty of Sino-foreign university co-operation in the year they entered GTIIT, the determined students keep moving forward with the motto of "Dream it, do it". They write one and another encouraging stories upon the path of scientific dreams. Let's follow the interview series of 2024 graduates to uncover more in their pursuit of future.

High School:

Guangdong Zhongyuan High School

Program:

Materials Science and Engineering (MSE)

Awards:

GTIIT Chancellor's List (2021)

GTIIT Vice Chancellor's List (2022)

Second Class Academic Excellence Scholarship (Top 7.5%) (2022)

GTIIT Dean's List (2023)

GTIIT Dean's List (2024)

Offers:

ETH Zurich

Cornell University 

Northwestern University

Upon first meeting Yu Yongxin, one would be impressed by his fast speech pace and active thinking. After four years of hard work, he received offers from ETH Zurich, Cornell University and Northwestern University, and will continue his study in a world leading university. Today, let’s listen to the story of this MSE graduate.

Be bold to ask questions

Seize opportunities

“I have always been fond of a free and open teaching atmosphere and planned to study abroad, so a Sino-foreign university is my first alternative. After Gaokao, Yongxin participated in many info sessions of various universities and carefully collected information. GTIIT, with an international faculty team and a focus on STEM education, became his top choice. “GTIIT is my first choice and four years of study made me more determined in this decision.” His choice of MSE resulted from his love for physics and engineering. In his view, interest is the best teacher. Choosing a program that one is truly interested in will provide unlimited motivation on scientific research.

Yongxin (right2) with his friends

With the passion for STEM, Yongxin came to GTIIT. Upon his arrival, the first challenge is the pure English teaching mode. “At the beginning, there were indeed some parts that I couldn’t understand, but this actually motivated me to study independently after class.” The course arrangement during the preparatory semester provided him enough time for previewing and reviewing. Through repeated practices, he quickly get used to it.

“Independent study” is what Yongxin repeatedly mentioned during the interview, which is also his secret of high grades. “Independent study” doesn’t mean simply studying alone, but rather planning your learning. GTIIT has provided much support for this such as the special office hour and strong group study atmosphere. During the ‘Physics 2’ course, Yongxin sought guidance from teachers during office hours every week. “If you want to get good grades, it is not enough to just be focused in class. It is necessary to practice after class and ask questions actively. This is also what teachers encouraged us to do.”

“GTIIT also gives us much autonomy in course selection. If you have enough time, it’s OK for you to learn advanced courses ahead of time.” With strong time arrangement, Yongxin completed most of his courses in three years. “In the first semester of my junior year, I took over 30 credits, which gave me a lot of pressure, and I couldn’t sleep well because of anxiety that time. However, peers in my study group helped me find back my study rhythm. Finally, I made it.” He admitted that studying ahead indeed posed significant challenges to him, but it also greatly improved his learning efficiency. That busy time remains unforgettable in his university.

Engage in scientific research 

toward dream

Joining a research group was a goal that Yongxin set before entering university. During the summer holiday of his freshman year, he joined Prof. Xu Xinpeng’s research group. “At that time, I was a newcomer and didn’t know much. I am very grateful to Prof. Xu for giving me such an opportunity.” He spent his summer holiday in the group and gained a basic understanding of scientific research under the guidance of the team.

In the first semester of his sophomore year, despite the busy study schedule, Yongxin didn’t give up his pursuit of scientific research. He joined Prof. Xie Zuoti’s research group and engaged in the field of molecular electronics. This experience truly allowed him to open the door to scientific research and grow rapidly in two years. He became a capable assistant of his supervisor, giving hand to new team members in their research. He also gained a lot in perseverance. “In research, the measurement data is not always satisfying, as the individual molecules are unstable. Sometimes you will achieve nothing after three or four hours, yet you have to keep it up. Perhaps an extra 20 minutes will bring you the result.”

Under the guidance of Prof. Xie Zuoti and other graduate students in the research group, Yu Yongxin published as article as a co-author in the journal Langmuir, a journal under the American Chemical Society 

The experience in the research group laid a solid foundation for Yongxin’s scientific research. In his third year, he got 20,000 RMB from GTIIT Innovation Seed Non-profit Foundation with a project named “Working Mechanism Study of Nanoelectronics Devices Based on Saturated Non-Conjugated Molecules”. Under the recommendation of Prof. Xie, he went to Tsinghua University for an exchange program during the summer holiday. At Tsinghua, he improved his previous measurement method with low success rate and further strengthened his determination to scientific research ahead.

Yongxin (right1) with his friends

Yongxin (left1) with his friends

In addition, Yu Yongxin actively explored different research directions. He joined Dr. Amitesh Paul’s research group to study the magnetic interactions between rare earth elements and ferromagnetic elements. He has published a relevant article in the journal Physical Review B under the American Physical Society as a co-author.

For Yongxin, a new journey is about to begin. He will continue study in the field of materials science at Northwestern University in the United Sates. He hoped that he could improve himself on an open academic platform to realize his scientific research dream.

Suggestions from Yongxin: