"What's on the menu this year for our new students? Make sure they showcase the GTIIT flavor!" As one of the first universities in China to start the new academic year after Gaokao, GTIIT is about to welcome its latest freshman class. Today, on his first day as GTIIT chancellor, Academician Mao Junfa of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) headed straight to the student quarters, checking everything from dorms to dining halls. He made inspection of welcome preparations his "first stop", going over every detail and asking about what still needed attention.

Another place students flock to is the lab. Stepping into the new teaching laboratory building on the South Campus, Academician Mao's eyes were immediately drawn to the autonomous robots in the Advanced Robotics Lab. "Can our students build these themselves?" he asked, following up on how lab courses are structured and how much hands-on work students actually get—from programming to debugging to real-world operation. At the Soft Wearables Lab, he was impressed to learn that several undergraduates from the group had gone on to top universities worldwide. He encouraged everyone to tap into the university's research strengths, stay curious, and embrace trial and error with courage.

Academician Mao visited GTIIT Advanced Robotics Lab, Physics Lab, Dielectric and Electrochemical Lab and Soft Wearables Lab

Recently, CAS Academician and renowned electronics expert Mao Junfa has taken office as Chancellor of GTIIT. In this role, he will steer this flagship Sino-Israeli cooperative education initiative toward deeper, high-quality development and align it more closely with China's strategic goals of high-level educational opening-up and technological self-reliance.

GTIIT is China's only Sino-foreign university focused on STEM and research. As a landmark project in China-Israel higher education cooperation, it stays true to its "STEM, global, research" identity. Backed by the Technion's world-class resources and rooted in eastern Guangdong while empowering the Greater Bay Area, it is dedicated to cultivating top innovators and advancing frontier research, with steady gains in academic standing and institutional capability. As of June 2026, the Class of 2026 had received 635 offers from 110 universities worldwide, 97% from global top-100 institutions, achieving another record high. This year, GTIIT plans to enroll 700 students, who will arrive in early August for the preparatory semester.

Academician Mao's appointment comes at a key moment—GTIIT's 10th anniversary and a critical phase of high-quality development. On day one, he went straight to the places most familiar to faculty and students. From freshman dorms to the cafeteria, from teaching buildings to research labs, his tour touched every part of student life and academics.

An expert in electromagnetic fields and microwave technology, Academician Mao brings over 30 years of experience in both research and university leadership. In research, he focuses on high-speed circuit interconnects and RF electronic packaging—work that has earned him multiple national awards, including the State Natural Science Award, State Technological Invention Award, and State Scientific and Technological Progress Award. His research closely aligns with China's infotech and the development of new quality productive forces. In governance, he has a proven track record in boosting university competitiveness and global standing.

Text/Photos: GTIIT News & Public Affairs