In 2026, the sixth cohort of undergraduate graduates from Guangdong Technion – Israel Institute of Technology (GTIIT) is ready to set sail. Armed with the knowledge and courage bestowed by their alma mater, and guided by the belief of "Dream it. Do it.", they have etched their youth in constant exploration and breakthrough. Let us step into their stories, and witness how they take action as wings to wider skies.

Chen Hui

High School: Hongling High School, Futian District, Shenzhen

Program: Chemistry

GPA: 91.3

Offer:

University of Copenhagen – Chemistry

Northwestern University – Materials Science & Engineering

Johns Hopkins University – Materials Science & Engineering

Université PSL (Paris) – Materials Science & Engineering

Université PSL (Paris) – Chemistry

As a student of the first batch of Chemistry Program at GTIIT, Chen Hui wrapped up four years with a 90+ GPA and offers from multiple world top-50 universities. Behind this achievement lies a transformative journey that began with curiosity and steadily built her academic ability and self-awareness.

Ultra-small classes, lab-heavy curriculum.

Novelty, fun, and pure enjoyment drove many of Chen Hui’s decisions—including making GTIIT’s Chemistry program her top pick, drawn by the "unknown freshness" of a brand-new major.

In 2022, GTIIT launched its new Chemistry program, backed academically by the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, which has seen three of its professors win the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in the past twenty-plus years. That gave Chen Hui confidence in her choice.

Once enrolled, the "ultra-small class" experience quickly translated into profound skill-building. "With usually no more than 8 students in a class, our interactions with professors were highly frequent, and peers learn a lot from each other too."

photo with Professor Iain

In class, asking questions and receiving immediate feedback became the norm. “One of our British professors, Iain Mcnab, was very tolerant. He would say that if we didn’t understand something, it was his problem, not ours. Instead of giving general answers from the podium, he would walk down and guide each student very carefully.” This open, two-way teacher-student relationship built her habit of questioning assumptions and thinking independently.

After foundational courses in her first year, academic intensity increased significantly. “We started studying comprehensively—physical chemistry, analytical chemistry, organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry—all at once. It was stressful at first, but this systematic training helped me gradually build a complete knowledge structure.”

Alongside theoretical courses was a high proportion of laboratory training. From initial exposure in the first year to two lab courses per semester starting in the second year, she spent about 1.5 to 2 days per week in the laboratory.

lab course

“Many concepts presented as formulas in class can only truly be understood through real experiments.” Through continuous practice, she gradually transitioned from “symbolic understanding” to “mechanistic understanding,” achieving a solid GPA above 90 and laying a strong foundation for future research training.

Hands-on projects, upgraded insights.

Starting from the second semester of her sophomore year, Chen Hui joined the laboratories of several professors. These experiences integrated her into GTIIT’s culture of “learning integrated with research.”

In Professor Sehoon Park’s group, she worked on the synthesis and structural construction of polymer materials, which allowed her to master glovebox-based anhydrous and anaerobic techniques through repeated practice, while strengthening her understanding of molecular structure control and synthetic pathway design.

In membrane-related research of Prof. He Xuezhong's group, she encountered more application-oriented questions—how to tune material surface properties to optimize separation performance. She observed that even small changes in chemical parameters could significantly affect wettability and anti-fouling behavior. This contrast led her to shift from focusing solely on structural construction to considering the coupling between material properties and application environments.

“Chemistry is not only about molecules, but also about ‘how structures transform into functions’”. As her research experience deepened, she found compared with pure mechanistic studies, she is more drawn to how materials function in real-world applications and how they can be designed and optimized within engineering systems. This understanding eventually brought her to Materials Science and Engineering as her future direction.

"What I love about research is running into problems, then working toward a very specific goal, exploring and solving it." For Chen Hui, the joy of science lies in the process of deconstruction: experimenting, failing, redoing, until the "aha moment" when clarity emerges from confusion.

Represented GTIIT to join STU Sports Meeting

Outside her academic studies, she actively explored diverse interests. She tried watercolor painting and digital drawing, learned guitar, and participated in rock climbing and tennis. She also achieved notable results in STU sports competitions. In addition, she was active in volunteer work, speech contests, and business competitions, serving as a peer mentor, youth volunteer, and student journalist, building a rich and vibrant college life.

Her curiosity also extended to productivity tools. “For example, I started using Obsidian in my sophomore year. With AI support, I built my own learning knowledge base and used it for daily reflection to improve my thinking and expression.”

obsidian interface

"I'm someone who's interested in everything I haven't learned or experienced, I'm more than willing to try." Each new experience expands her horizons and broadens her perspective. "University shouldn't be just about grinding for GPA. You also need to set aside time to explore your passions and get to know yourself."

Looking back on her four years at university, Chen Hui said her biggest change was shifting from external validation to internal motivation. “I used to rely heavily on others’ opinions, but I gradually realized that what matters more is whether I truly understand and grow.”

For her, the value of GTIIT lies not only in knowledge itself, but in offering a learning system oriented toward exploration. From theory to lab, and to research , this tightly connected path allowed her to continuously refine her understanding, and build capability. With this gift, she is ready for the next journey.

Text: GTIIT News & Public Affairs

Photos: provided by Chen Hui