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.

Name: Cheng Bowen

High School: Chongqing Foreign Language School

Program: Mechanical Engineering (Robotics) (ME)

Awards: GTIIT Program head's List (2023&2024&2025)

Offers: Eindhoven University of Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology

"As AI advances, the gap between people will narrow. Simple facts and standard skills will eventually be replaced by machines. What truly sustains you in the long term is a broad knowledge base, a wide perspective, and solid practical ability—which is exactly what GTIIT aims to cultivate," Cheng Bowen shared his biggest takeaway from four years here. "Coming to GTIIT is a decision I'll never regret."

Taking It Step by Step

Step by stephe-Bowen kept saying this during the interview. To others, his four years at GTIIT looked calm and orderly—no grade-grinding. But Such steadiness was built on a clear roadmap. He found his rhythm from day one and followed the GTIIT's training path with quiet confidence.

As a graduate of Chongqing Foreign Language School, Cheng Bowen already had a strong language foundation. GTIIT's preparatory semester helped him adjust even faster. "The professors spoke more slowly and used simpler vocabulary, so it was easy to transition to an all-English environment. You could dive straight into your major courses," he said. After getting through the adjustment period, he kept pace with every class and took every assignment seriously. He believed that the scientifically designed curriculum and pace, if followed steadily with solid foundations in every subject, would naturally open up broad future choices.

At GTIIT, his grades stayed steady at around 90. He won scholarships every year from freshman to junior year, never failed a subject, and never had to take a B exam or retake a course. "My Gaokao score was over 90 points above the Special Admission Control Line, and the generous scholarships meant I didn't have to spend much on tuition over the four years," he said. Speaking of his attitude toward grades: "I never deliberately chased a high GPA. I just finished whatever the professors assigned. That way, I still had energy after class to try new things and explore."

Cheng Bowen（Right 1）in the award ceremony

This clear planning was also reflected in how he spent his winter and summer holidays: he got his driver's license during freshman year and got his IELTS score during sophomore year. In his junior year, he travelled to Europe with colleagues from his internship company to attend a hardware industry exhibition, putting what he'd learned in class into real work. "Introducing products to German and Polish customers at the exhibition gave me real confidence — partly from seeing Chinese brands going global, and partly from the solid feeling of putting my knowledge into practice." The Europe trip was hugely rewarding and strengthened his love for the mechanical engineering field.

What really locked in his direction was the toughest academic challenge of his college years. "In my junior year, I took the pneumatic and hydraulic systems elective. At that time, we hadn't systematically studied control theory yet, so all the theory and software in the course were completely new to us." During that period, he and his groupmates repeatedly went to the professor for guidance, borrowed ideas from a senior in their group, and figured out the modeling on their own. When they finally finished the project report, the strong sense of achievement made it clear what he truly loved. "Before that, I'd tried joining a heat transfer research group, but after some hands-on work, I realized it wasn't for me. settled what I want to pursue further." In his senior year, he joined Prof. Nicolaas Theron's group to work on his graduation project: a control system for a 6-DOF robotic arm.

Cheng Bowen（Right 1）and friends

Major first, then European schools

Bowen was clear-minded, stuck to his precise targeting, and aimed at European schools from the start. "My energy is limited. I can't master every region's application requirement and visa policies. Rather than spreading myself thin dealing with all the complicated rules in different places, I'd rather focus on what matters most to me — Europe has a mature industrial system and top-tier mechanical and electromechanical programs. So, I only applied to European schools from the very beginning."

"GTIIT's mechanical engineering program has always used a broad-based approach. We touch on fluids, heat transfer, electrical systems, controls — the whole range." This curriculum not only opened more paths after graduation, but also became a major advantage when he applied to overseas universities. "Our courses cover so much ground. When I filled out the course matching forms for overseas applications, I could find a course I'd taken for almost every knowledge area they required."

With his steady GPA, rich campus experience, and GTIIT's well-rounded training system, Bowen received offers from his dream universities including Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands and KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden. "KTH's mechatronics program only admits 30 international students per year. The competition is fierce. The rich experience I built up at GTIIT and the recommendation letters from professors were key to breaking through."

"After four years at GTIIT, I still feel like I didn't explore the university's resources nearly enough. The academic resources, the global exchange network with top universities — GTIIT offers far more than you'd imagine." Looking back, Bowen admitted there were many campus resources he didn't fully use. "I hope younger students take the initiative to seize every opportunity GTIIT gives you, find your own pace, and keep moving forward steadily."

Text: GTIIT News & Public Affairs

Photos: Cheng Bowen, GTIIT News & Public Affairs