At the recently Guangdong Technion ? Israel Institute of Technology's (GTIIT) 2026 Commencement, the much-anticipated inaugural Innovation Prize was officially announced.

Jiajun Feng, a 2022 PhD student in Chemistry, and Chuhan Zhang, a 2022 undergraduate in Mechanical Engineering and Robotics, stood out amid fierce competition as the first?ever GTIIT recipients of this honor. 

The newly established "Israel Innovation Prize", aims to highlight Israel's world-renowned spirit of innovation, while inspiring and honoring promising young Chinese innovators. This year, the prize was awarded in cooperation with GTIIT to a student who has demonstrated exceptional innovation. To fully recognize GTIIT students' research excellence and differentiate achievements across degree levels, GTIIT has also set up the "GTIIT-Undergraduate Innovation Prize" to honor undergraduate students.

Speaking at the Ceremony, Israeli Ambassador to China, Eli Belotsercovsky, stated that the Embassy of Israel in China established this award to project the Israeli success story in innovation, so as to inspire and honor the work of young Chinese innovators. The prize wil be presented annually. "I am very honored to be the first Israeli Ambassador to award it," he remarked. Drawing on his experiences across China, he remarked that China's advances in technology, ranging from car to smart robot, have deeply impressed him. He also encouraged the alumni of GTIIT to embrace Israel's spirt and grow into future?leading technological figures in China. 

Vice Chancellor of GTIIT, Prof. Eli Aljadeff said, "Regarding this year's Innovation Prize callout, we received an exceptional response from our student body, with numerous high-quality submissions showcasing the deep creativity, dedication, and entrepreneurial spirit that define GTIIT. Because the caliber of the proposals was so remarkably high, reaching a final decision proved to be a very difficult task for the selection committee. Every submission reflected a profound commitment to pushing boundaries and solving complex problems. We want to extend our heartfelt congratulations to our winners for their exceptional achievements and sincerely thank all the applicants for their excellent work. We are deeply grateful to the Israeli Embassy in China for their efforts and encouragement in recognizing young and outstanding talent, and their supports to GTIIT as always. Everyone's contributions continue to drive the innovative spirit of our campus forward."

"I am excited to receive this honor. I am sincerely grateful to my two supervisors from GTIIT and Technion. With their guidance, I overcame various challenges and successfully completed the DNA Protonics project," said Jiajun Feng, the winner of the Israel Innovation Prize. Chuhan Zhang, recipient of the GTIIT-Undergraduate Innovation Prize, also expressed his gratitude to his supervisor. "My project focuses on a 3D monopedal hopping robot. The whole journey from initial concept to practical realization would not have been possible without my professor's patient guidance."

GTIIT prioritizes research?driven teaching for undergraduates and provides them with top?tier experimental equipment. Under the Knowledge?Triangle framework of innovation?research?education, undergraduates join research teams early while postgraduates receive joint supervision from Technion and GTIIT professors. Backed by global?teachers and advanced labs, GTIIT continuously unlocks students' innovative potential. Numerous young scholars set off from here and evolve into tech?innovative talents with creative minds and a global vision.