DIT Harbin student wins Gold Gaisce Award

President of Ireland, Mary McAleese awards Gold Gaisce Award to PhD Student from Harbin, China.

“ … I got the opportunity to make the most of my life in the local community in Ireland and my life experience as a human being is greatly enriched … ”

– DIT student Tiedong Yang, at the Gaisce Gold Award ceremony, April 2010


The President of Ireland, President Mary McAleese recently presented Gold Gaisce medals to 50 young adults at a special ceremony in Dublin Castle to celebrate the 25th anniversary ofGaisce – The President’s Award.


There are three types of Gaisce Award - Bronze, Silver and Gold - which are presented to individuals who take on and succeed in a challenge, whether that is helping in their community, getting involved in sport, developing new skills and participating in an adventure or journey.

Tiedong Yang with the Gold Gaisce medal

Among those receiving these prestigious awards was current DIT student and graduate of Harbin Institute of Technology, Tiedong Yang from Heilongjiang Province, China.

Born in Harbin, Tiedong completed his undergraduate university education at Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT) where he obtained a Bachelor of Engineering Degree in Computer Science and Technology in 2007. Since 2002, DIT has been running a very successful BSc Computer Science programme with HIT and Tiedong first learnt about Ireland through this partnership between DIT and HIT. Having graduated, Tiedong was offered an ABBEST scholarship to carry out further PhD research in the Digital Media Centre in DIT. This DIT scholarship programme is aimed at exceptional candidates who have an exciting or innovative idea for Doctoral research.

Tiedong came to Ireland in September 2007 and is now in the third year of his PhD. He heard about Gaisce through Sr Mary Flanagan in DIT and registered to take part in the two-year long project where he undertook a series of life changing and extraordinary challenges. These challenges fell under four main areas: Community, Personal Skill, Physical and Adventure.

For the Community activity Tiedong carried out voluntary work in the Meath Community Unit in Dublin assisting staff in daily activities and helping the elderly residents and learning how to properly plan and organise activities for the elderly residents with special needs. Tiedong says that the best part of his time volunteering was sharing life experiences with staff and elderly residents. “I got to understand the Irish culture and residents much better than before. They also learnt more about China through me. Such experience greatly enriched me as a human being.” He adds: “When the residents rubbed my hands after I came in on a freezing morning, they are not residents in the wards but like my own grand-parents in China.”

In the Personal Skill section Tiedong developed and improved his communication skills as a non-native speaker of English. He learned various subjects to help his communication and immersed himself in all aspects of Irish culture and society, from taking an Irish Language course to volunteering as an educational facilitator at the Chester Beatty Library and as a Chinese consultant and representative for the Virtual Collection of Masterpieces international project; learning Irish dancing; and forging firm friendships with local neighbours. Tiedong even taught himself all about Rugby to better communicate with young pupils from a local school to whom he gave voluntary science grinds.

“Though it's a one-to-one teaching and learning process, it normally still takes some time to let the pupil trust you and actively interact with you. I found the best way to establish a friendly relationship with these boys is to talk with them about sport, rugby in particular. Actually before I came here in Ireland I didn't have any knowledge about rugby except for the name. It is by reading Herald and Metro newspapers every day in the learning activities to develop communication skill that I could overcome this barrier.”

Tiedong managed to wear out numerous pairs of running shoes and sport socks doing a variety of daily gymnastic training programmes such as fast-walking, jogging, sit-ups, etc as part of the physical activity challenge. “By performing such gymnastic training every day through the last two years, I maintained good body figure and kept physical fitness. Besides, my self confidence and determination was greatly enhanced.”

Tiedong Yang with fellow Gold Gaisce Award winners at the presentation in Dublin Castle

Responding to the challenge of adventure, Tiedong undertook an amazing expedition. Comparing West and East, he planned and carried out an expedition and exploration in both Ireland and China- hiking for more than 130 km in Dublin and visiting 20 cities in different regions of China. He explored the diversity in the design and construction of the cities as well as the local culture, and documented the whole journey, giving an unique insight into Irish and Chinese culture and life.



“Based on the comparison between both the expedition and exploration I've done in Ireland and China, I got to learn about the diversity in the Irish and Chinese cultures. What's more, I wouldn't have achieved such great experience on the difference in various aspects between the West and the East, if I hadn’t done this adventure part.”

Dr Frank McMahon, Director of Academic Affairs, DIT says:
“Most people who work or study in a foreign country are fully occupied trying to survive in a different culture but Tiedong had the energy and ability to integrate fully into his new surroundings, to the great benefit of those lucky enough to meet him. He is a great role model for all international students and his success will further strengthen the strong ties between Harbin Institute of Technology and DIT and between China and Ireland.”


Summing up his two year experiences Tiedong concludes: “Beyond qualifying myself for this Gaisce Gold Award my life experience as a human being is greatly enriched... What's more, by being actively involved in the local community, I got the chance to make the most of my life in Ireland.”