At the 2026 Graduation Ceremony of  Guangdong Technion – Israel Institute of Technology (GTIIT), undergraduate representative Chen Mingjie (Biotechnology and Food Engineering Program) and graduate representative Li Jiayu (Environmental Engineering Program) took the stage to deliver their speeches. They looked back on their academic journeys, expressed gratitude to GTIIT for the intellectual rigor and core values it instilled in them, and traced their transformation from wide-eyed freshmen to poised graduates, sharing the moments of growth and discovery that defined their time on campus.

Speech by Chen Mingjie, Undergraduate Graduation Representative

It is my honor to stand here today to represent the graduating class.

When people imagine scientific research, they often picture something clean, precise, and glorious. A breakthrough. A publication. A scientist in a perfectly organized lab, suddenly saying: "I've found it."

But the reality I experienced was very different. One of my most memorable moments in research was going to a frog farm for sample collection. It was not glamorous at all. It was dirty. It was smelly. It was nothing like the image people usually associate with science.

And strangely, that moment stayed with me. Because it made me realize something very simple: science is not only what we eventually present in papers or conferences. It is also the messy, physical, and sometimes uncomfortable reality behind it.

At first, I thought science was mainly about doing experiments well. But over time, I noticed something about myself. I was never satisfied with "just enough". I always wanted to do better. And then better again. Not because of grades, not because of results — but because something inside me kept moving forward.

Step by step, experiment by experiment, repetition after repetition, the environmental microbiology lab slowly shaped me. It did not only teach me techniques. It shaped my inner self and quality. It taught me persistence when things were messy. It taught me patience when progress was slow. And it taught me discipline — the habit of always trying to improve, even when no one is watching.

For me, this journey began in molecular microbiology. I became fascinated by things most people never see: genes, plasmids, and invisible evolutionary relationships between organisms. Which, as I later discovered, is also very hard to explain at family dinners.

"Wait… so you study bacteria?"

"Yes."

"So are you making medicine?"

"Not exactly."

"So what are you doing?"

"…That is an excellent question."

But behind all the jokes, I began to understand something deeper: Science is not a straight line of discovery. It is a process of becoming.

Not only discovering what is true — but also becoming someone who can think more deeply, observe more carefully, and work more patiently. Science is a journey….

I think university works in the same way. Many of us entered with clear expectations: four-year plans and structured goals.

But life rarely follows like that. What actually stays with us are not the perfectly planned moments, but the lived experiences: The failed experiments. The late nights in the lab. The presentations that didn't go as planned. The moments when we quietly wondered whether we were improving at all.

And yet, looking back, all of these moments mattered. Because they were not just events. They were transformations. They shaped how we think critically. They shaped how we work hard. And most importantly, they shaped who we are becoming.

And while the university teaches us how to think, the people around us teach us how to grow. I think of mentors who guided me patiently. Friends who stayed beside me during uncertainty. And family members who may not have fully understood my research — but supported me anyway. I realized that no one becomes who they are alone. We are shaped together, through the people who walk with us.

So to the graduating class: As we move into the next chapter of our lives, we may go into research, into industry, or into companies of any kind. 

But what we carry with us is more important than any single result. It is the inner quality we have built along the way — the willingness to work harder, think deeper, and keep improving. And this is not just for my own benefit, but for others, for society, and for the world we live in.

And I truly believe this is what allows us to grow. Not just to succeed, but to blossom in whatever field we choose to go into.

So wherever life takes you next — keep going, keep growing, and keep becoming better versions of yourselves.

Class of 2026, thank you for growing alongside me. Congratulations. And wherever life takes you next — keep going. Thank you!

Speech by Li Jiayu, Master's Graduation Representative

Good afternoon. It is a great honor to stand here today and share a few reflections on behalf of the graduating postgraduate students.

To be honest, this moment still feels a little unreal to me. For a long time, I never imagined that I would one day be named an "outstanding graduate". I was never the most dazzling student on campus. My years at GTIIT were not a dramatic story of one breakthrough after another.

Even now, I cannot claim spectacular achievements or a glittering résumé. I have simply completed my studies steadily and found a career that I genuinely love. Perhaps that is precisely why standing here carries such special meaning. It is a quiet testament to GTIIT's understanding of excellence, that reaches far beyond rankings, publications, or salaries. Here, excellence is diverse and inclusive. It encourages us to step beyond labels and discover the color, rhythm, and direction of a life that is truly our own.

GTIIT does not reserve the spotlight for a select few. It quietly lifts every student, helping each of us kindle a light that is uniquely ours. GTIIT never promised us an easy road. Exams did not always go our way, experiments failed again and again, and uncertainty often clouded the path ahead. Yet GTIIT taught us to think more deeply when answers remain out of reach, and to find the resolve to begin again when our steps falter.

From undergraduate study to postgraduate research, GTIIT has instilled in me a rigorous scientific mindset: to question the familiar, look beneath the surface, and challenge established answers. Beyond that, it has helped me outgrow my former timidity, step forward with confidence, and speak in a voice that is distinctly my own. This kind of education does more than cultivate outstanding scientists. It shapes individuals who move forward with quiet determination, and face the world with courage—people who bring light and purpose wherever they go.

The most precious lesson I take from GTIIT is this: we do not need to keep pace with others to define who we are, and perfection should never be the measure of our worth. Life follows no prescribed path. If we move through each stage with intention, embrace every choice with honesty, and remain open to every attempt, we will, in time, grow into the person we have always aspired to become.

Dear fellow graduates, after today, we will leave this campus for different cities, pursue different paths, and begin new and unwritten chapters. Along the way, we will always remember the professors and teachers who guided and supported us, the classmates and friends who walked beside us; and the parents and families whose quiet and unwavering love sustained us.

Let us continue to find the extraordinary within ordinary days. Let us carry the knowledge we have gained, the courage we have forged, and the strength we have built at GTIIT into a future that is truly our own.

Finally, may GTIIT continue to flourish, may our families enjoy peace and happiness, and may we all celebrate this new beginning, embrace a bright and boudless future, and see our dreams become reality!

Congratulations to the Class of 2026! Thank you!

Text/Photos: GTIIT News & Public Affairs