Prof. Lavie talked about GTIIT students' changes in class-from a passive behavior to gradually asking questions. "This is 'Chutzpah', the ability to think out of the box. In Israel, if you don't ask questions, you won't turly understand," He said. He also encouraged students to think positively about failure and don't take it  as the end of world.

"When you are living in a country surrounded by desert, you will have the necessity to find solution for water. Israel became the first nation to invent first drip irrigation system and desalination technology to overcome water shortage," President Lavie said. He also introduced the history of Six Day War in 1967, pointing out that the 1969 French Embargo forced the Technion to open the microelectronic institute to produce the first semi-conductor in Israel.

"Everybody in Israel serve the army. Boys three years, girls two years. They learn how to cooperate, how to take risks. When they come to the Technion or to any other universities, in many cases they carry out research based on national demands," President Lavie said. He also talked about immigration. "Israel absorbed 1 million people from the Former Soviet Union, which also provided more talents to Technion.

"Any university must have mission to help the society, and the society should benefit from the university," President Lavie said. He also introduced the Technion contribution during 1995-2014 through a series of data and encouraged GTIITers to start careers in the future and fight for the development of human beings.

Text : Zhang Hongrui, GTIIT News & Public Affairs

Photos: GTIIT News & Public Affairs