Interview | 当我们谈论热爱、创新与教育时，我们在谈论什么？
广东以色列理工学院自建校之日起，便致力于建设成为一所高水平、国际化的理工科研究型大学。在又一届新生到来之际，广以常务副校长、国际知名纳米物理学家、原以色列科学基金会精密科学部主任David Gershoni教授从自己的学术和科研经历出发，畅谈他对创新和教育的看法和见解，为即将开启繁忙学业的广以学子们加油打气。
David Gershoni教授的人生与以色列理工学院结下不解之缘。1980年，他在以色列理工学院获得理学学士学位后留校攻读研究生，并于1986年获物理学硕士和博士学位。1991年，他回到母校执教于物理系。2021年4月，他远渡重洋来到以色列理工学院的中国校区——广东以色列理工学院任常务副校长一职。
四十余年如一日，对科学的好奇、对实验物理学的热爱是David Gershoni教授矢志不渝投身于科研事业的动力来源。“我一生中的大部分时间都在做实验，实验的魅力在于结束之前你永远不会知道会有什么结果。我想要了解得更多，我想要亲自看到证据，我想要成为第一个看到数据的人。我的目标是证明当前社会发展的很多局限都将在未来通过科技得以解决，科学的福音可以为人类所享用。这也是我事业发展的动力和方向。”
“我会尽我最大的努力完成自己在广以的使命——使这所学校变得更加优秀，帮助我们的学生实现成为未来科学家、工程师的梦想。”David Gershoni教授表示，充满朝气的广以校园是学生成长成才的沃土。“这里的同事们有着共同的目标，愿意付出努力和耐心，与这所年轻的学校并肩面对一个又一个的挑战，让它变得更好。我希望能与大家一同见证广以的蜕变与成长！”
“广东以色列理工学院是一所中以合办大学，是中以两国在教育领域里程碑式的合作，这便足够独特了。我了解到中国也有其它中外合办大学，但只有广以的愿景是建立一所研究型大学——大学的教师不仅教书，还是科研人员。这就是我们要做的，这在中国是独一无二的。”
谈及对创新的理解，David Gershoni教授认为，科学就是创新、探索、发明，当人们从事科学研究时，所做的每一件事都是创新。“以色列被认为是一个非常具有创新精神的国家，而以色列理工学院是这一切开始的地方。这所学校成立于以色列建国之前，这个国家所有的行业和技术基础都来自这所学校的毕业生。所以，提及以色列的民族特征，以色列理工学院就是一个很好的例子。”
把以色列理工学院带到中国，不仅因为当前中国的科技发展日新月异，更是基于中国人和以色列人对教育价值共同的重视。“犹太家庭的父母积极参与对孩子的教育，我在中国也看到了同样的情形，中国的父母非常关心孩子的教育问题。此外，我发现中国人工作很努力，这一点也与以色列人不谋而合。因为以色列是小国，生存与成功的唯一途径就是团队合作。我认为这也很符合中国人的工作和科研方式。”
David Gershoni教授认为，广以提供给学生的东西与中国其它学校有所不同。“我们引导年轻的学生不要害怕问问题，要相信自己能找到答案。他们也将在这里学会如何提出问题，以及如何通过努力得到令自己满意的答案。”
“我们的合作办学，是建立在中以双方都认同的人才培养目标和教育理念的基础之上。如果两个社会的优点能以连贯的方式共同产生作用，发挥各自的优势，我相信这会是一个很棒的组合。”David Gershoni教授也同样表示，合作难免会产生困难和摩擦。“但我相信潜力大于困难，我们要有信心应对可能出现的挑战，这也是增进双方理解与交流的好机会。”
在David Gershoni教授眼中，“聪明”的人在科学研究中非常有竞争力。“这意味着你不但有天赋，还懂得如何去探索——全情投入，努力工作，能从自己的错误中学习，有信心解决遇到的问题——这通常这比天赋更重要。当你遇到问题时，想办法去解决它。大学的教育很大程度上是培养你解决问题的能力，引导你发掘自己最大的潜能，帮助你成为你能做到的最好的人。”
来到大学，就意味着被人督促学习的日子已经远去。大学生应该懂得规划好自己的学习和生活——你必须修读哪些课程?你要付出多少努力才能在学业上取得优异的表现？学校提供帮助，但实施的责任落在了学生身上。
David Gershoni教授鼓励学生们大胆提问，当堂解决遇到的任何问题和困惑。“老师，这个问题我不明白，你能给我解释一下吗？不要担心是不是只有你听不懂，永远不要去想别人的事。总有比你聪明的人，但你有其它的优势。你可以更投入一些，你可以更加努力学习，你可以更有创造力——但前提是你必须非常专注于自己的目标，并愿意为之付出全部的努力。”
“中国人有一句话，叫‘千里之行始于足下’。开始往往很难，但当你迈出第一步后，接下来的每一步就变得很简单了。所以永远不要失去希望，要有信心，无论做什么，都要尽力做到最好。”
Since its establishment, GTIIT aims to build into a high-level international research university in science and technology. As new freshmen arrive, Prof. David Gershoni, Vice Chancellor of GTIIT, talked about his insights on innovation and education as a physicist and encouraged students to work hard at the university.
INTERVIEW
Carry the mission and work for my dream
Prof. David Gershoni's life has been closely linked to the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. He received his B.Sc. in Physics from the Technion in 1980. He then pursued his graduate studies in the same institute, receiving his M.Sc. and D.Sc. in Physics from the Technion in 1986. In 1991, he returned to the Department of Physics at the Technion as a faculty member. Since April 2021, he has served as the Vice Chancellor of GTIIT.
For more than 40 years Prof. David Gershoni's curiosity for science and passion for experimental physics are the driving forces for his devotion to scientific research. "I've spent most of my life doing experiments, and the beauty of experiments is that you cannot predict the results without seeing the results. I want to understand, I want to see the evidence myself, I want to be the first to see the data. My goal is to show that it is possible to find technological solutions to experimental limitations. That's what has been driving me and leading my career."
"I will try my best to fulfil my mission at GTIIT; to make it better and help our students realize their dreams of becoming future scientists and engineers." Prof. David Gershoni said GTIIT was a good place to study. "People here share a common vision and are willing to devote efforts and hard work to make this place a better place. I'm honored to be one of them and witness the growth of GTIIT!"
Keep unique and break through in cooperation
"GTIIT is the only China-Israel university. It is a landmark cooperation between China and Israel in the field of education and research. It's already unique. While I know that there are other Sino-foreign universities in China, none of them is a research university. What we are trying to build here is a research university. The faculty are not only teachers but also researchers, thus offering our students unique opportunities. This makes it exceptional from my point of view."
When it comes to the understanding of innovation, Prof. David Gershoni believes that science is about innovation, exploration, and invention. "When you are dealing with scientific research, everything you do is innovation. Israel is considered a very innovative country, and the Technion is where this was initiated. The Technion is the technological engine behind Israel. It was established before the state was established. All the industries and technology in Israel are based on the graduates of the Technion. So when it comes to the national character of Israel, the Technion is a good example."
The reason why the Technion was brought to China is not only because of the rapid technological development in China, but also because both Chinese and Israeli people attach great importance to the value of education. "Jewish parents are very involved in their children's education, and I see the same in China, where parents are very concerned about their children's education. In addition, I find that Chinese are very hardworking. That's something that can connect very well with Israelis. Israelis learned to work together in such a small country because the only way to survive is to work together. I think this fits very well with the Chinese way of work and research."
Prof. David Gershoni is convinced that GTIIT offers students something different from other universities in China. "We guide young students not to be afraid of asking questions and to trust that they can find answers. We also teach them how to succeed."
"Our cooperation is based on the goals of talent cultivation and education that both China and Israel agree on. If both societies can work together in a coherent way, I believe it can be a great combination." Prof. David Gershoni agrees that collaboration inevitably encounters difficulties. "However, I believe the potential outweighs the difficulties. We need to be confident in meeting the challenges that may arise. This is also a good opportunity to enhance mutual understanding."
A thousand-mile journey starts with the first step
Prof. David Gershoni says that "smart" people are highly competitive in scientific research. "It means not only that you are talented, but you know how to explore, be devoted, work hard, learn from your mistakes, and have the confidence to solve problems. This is often more important than talent. When you have a problem, find your way to solve it. To some extent, university education is about developing your problem-solving skills, guiding you to explore your potential, and helping you become the best person you can be.”
Coming to university means that the days of being pushed to study are gone. University students must learn to independently plan their studies: What courses to take? How to succeed at exams? The university will provide all the means that students need, but the burden of proof is eventually on the students themselves.
Prof. David Gershoni encourages students to ask tough questions and then solve problems. "I don't understand this question. Can you explain it to me? Don't worry if you're the only one who doesn't understand, and never think about others. There are always people smarter than you, but you have other advantages. You can be more devoted. You can be much harder working. You can be more innovative. You can be more creative. This only comes from when you concentrate on your goal and devote all your efforts."
"There is a Chinese saying: 'A thousand-mile journey starts with the first step'. The beginning is always difficult. When you get used to it, life will be easy. So never lose hope, be confident, and don't be shy. And whatever you do, try to do the best."
文/图：GTIIT传媒与公共事务部
Text/Photos: GTIIT News & Public Affairs
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