As a businesswoman, Esther Samosir Pakpahan from Indonesia has traveled to many regions and countries around the world. However, none of her trips was as exciting as her visit to Tianjin, China, in July 2024. At Tianjin University, the first modern university in China and one of its best, she witnessed her son, Timothy Joseph Hutagaol, graduate with honors, earning his bachelor’s degree.
“I’m incredibly proud of him,” Esther said, beaming. “And I’m really grateful to the university for bringing out the best in my son.”
For Timothy Joseph Hutagaol, an international student majoring in Chemical Engineering at TJU, his journey to China began four years ago and has now reached a gratifying milestone. Yet, his path stretches further as he has been awarded a full scholarship from the Chinese Government Scholarship (CSC) to pursue a Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering at Tianjin University.
“I wanted my mom to be part of this wonderful journey in China,” Timothy said. “Sharing one of the most precious moments of my life. Without her love and support, I wouldn’t be here.”
Raised by a single mother from a very young age, Timothy embraced his responsibility to meet her expectations and learned independence early on.
“My mom’s big on education,” Timothy recalled. “She always said, ‘Son, seek your dream through education,’ and pushed my sister and me to excel in school.”
Timothy did not disappoint his mother’s trust, graduating from high school with excellent academic performance by securing 1st place city-wide and 2nd place province-wide of 2019 Indonesian National Examination. “We agreed that I should look for higher education in places with better resources, like China, Singapore, Japan, and Europe.” After thorough research and comparison, Timothy decided to pursue his undergraduate studies at Tianjin University in China.
“I love science and engineering,” Timothy explained. “And nothing combines them better than Chemical Engineering.”
He learned that Tianjin University was one of the first two Asian universities and the first Chinese university to achieve Master Level accreditation by the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE).
“TJU’s chemical engineering program is world-class,” Timothy said with pride. “I made the choice and had my mom’s full support.”
In the summer of 2020, Timothy received an admission letter from Tianjin University with a chemical engineering scholarship, making him the first and the only one in his family generation to earn a fully-funded undergraduate scholarship abroad and graduate from university abroad.
More firsts were to come.“I believe that where there is a will, there is a way. My college life at TJU has shown me that there are no boundaries or limits to one’s self-growth as long as you strive for it.”
Timothy was among the first batch of student ambassadors to help the university recruit international students. “It’s my way of giving back,” Timothy said. “Showing what it’s really like to live in China as an international student.”
In addition to online and onsite presentations to high schools and institutions in Indonesia, he also managed to open five personal accounts on social media platforms, including Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, WeChat, and Bilibili. He created hundreds of posts, reaching over 1 million users in total.
Over the four years, Timothy successfully guided over 50 students through the admission process into TJU and won the title of Outstanding Student Ambassador three years in a row.
He was the top student in his class with a weighted GPA of 3.92 and was the only undergraduate to have published two academic papers.
“I was most fortunate to join the National Engineering Research Center in Industrial Crystallization Technology under the supervision of Professor Gao Zhenguo, who guided me into the path of scientific experiments and research.”
Timothy caught Prof. Gao’s attention with his attentive attitude and inquisitive mind in one of the courses, scoring 98 out of 100.
“Prof. Gao reached out to me, gave me a lab tour, and invited me to join his research group,” Timothy recalled. “I was thrilled and so flattered!”
In one and a half years, he collaborated with doctoral and postgraduate students from the lab and published one paper in the Journal of Food Chemistry as the first author and another in the Journal of Applied Energy as a co-author. “This experience cemented my passion for chemical engineering research,” Timothy said. “And it really helped me secure the CSC scholarship.”
At the end of June, Esther arrived at Tianjin University to see firsthand the campuses where her son spent four fruitful and hardworking years. To her greater joy and delight, she found her son among the first five international students whose photos were proudly displayed in the 2024 Tianjin University Outstanding Graduates Banner Exhibition.
“Their photos are on banners along the main campus streets,” Timothy's mom said, her eyes shining. “It’s so inspirational. A huge honor for both the students and their families.”
For Timothy, the recognition banner and his mom’s presence at his graduation brought a perfect close to his undergraduate studies.
During their free time, Timothy took his mom on a city walk around Tianjin.
“Tianjin is clean and well-organized,” Esther noted. “So much modern technology everywhere. Even payments are through QR codes. It’s impressive.”
The good environment and excellent facilities she perceived in both the city and the campus made her more supportive of Timothy’s further study at TJU.
As Timothy and his mom look forward to the future, their journey at Tianjin University stands as a testament to the power of determination, education, and family support.
Reflecting on his achievements and the path ahead, Timothy said, “I can’t wait to start my postgraduate journey here. It’s always exciting to embrace something new, isn’t it?”
For Timothy's mom, seeing her son flourish in a foreign land is a dream come true. “It’s amazing to witness his growth and success,” she said, her eyes filled with pride.
As they embrace the next chapter, Timothy and his mom's journey at Tianjin University continues to inspire, reminding us all that with hard work and support, any dream is within reach.
By Eva Yin
