On August 5 at 4:30 pm, the closing ceremony of 2022 Tongji Summer School (TJSS2022) was held at the Academic Report Hall of Tongji Medical College and streamed live. Prof. Jianguo Chen, Vice President of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, together with heads of schools and departments of HUST attended the ceremony that was moderated by Dr. Jie Chen, Director of the Office of International Affairs of HUST. Those unable to attend the ceremony in person gathered online to wrap up their unforgettable journey in this insightful summer.
Prof. Jianguo Chen delivered an opening remark. He started by extending heartfelt thanks to all the lecturers of the summer school and his colleges who made this event possible, and then congratulated all the students who have finished those high-quality courses. He emphasized that the pandemic has urged the world to train a pool of future medical scientists with professional expertise, patriotism as well as a global vision. TJSS2022 offered tailor-made courses featuring both theoretical lectures and innovative and interactive activities which enable participants to gain a deeper understanding of the medical challenges facing the world and enhance their abilities to communicate, collaborate, and solve complex medical problems. Prof. Chen believed that what those students learned from this summer school will surely benefit their study and research at present, enlighten their next-step study and sustain their future career development as well. He hoped that the students could find their research interest, unleash their full potential, and then contribute to the building of a community with a shared future for human health. HUST is willing to make Tongji Summer School a platform where wisdom and experience are freely contributed and shared, and strives to cultivate international medical talents for the sake of solutions to medical problems concerning all human beings.
Prof. Xi CHEN, an Associate Professor of global health policy and economics at Yale University, Prof. Zhuo CHEN, an Associate Professor and DrPH Program Coordinator of College of Public Health, University of Georgia, Prof. Chris Tselepis, head of School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Prof. Changzheng Yuan, a Research Professor at Zhejiang University School of Public Health, Dr. CHE, Chun-Tao, the Harry H.S. Fong Professor of Pharmacognosy in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and Dr. Sara Hägg, an associate professor at the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, addressed the closing ceremony on behalf of all the lecturers via video recordings. Prof. Xi CHEN said it is meaningful for him to spare time having conversation with students about frontiers of health policy in the fields of publishing aging, the retirement, social security reforms, elderly care, and key implications of Covid-19 on the transformation of global health policy. Prof. Zhuo CHEN recognized that HUST has a strong reputation in health economics and health policy, the use of which has much potential for preventing the next pandemic or chronic disease management, improving mental health, and reducing injuries. Prof. Chris Tselepis spoke highly of all students who were without exception incredibly insightful, hardworking, and motivated in his view, and expected that many of the students decide to specialize in gastroenterology going forward. Prof. Changzheng Yuan wished that the end of these courses could be the starting point and opportunities for students to observe the last knowledge and the methodology in multiple fields and empower their own research and study. Dr. Che expressed his gratitude to the organizers and reassured all students that they can carry on their discussion on Chinese Materia Medica further via email. Dr. Sara Hägg said she was honored to be part of Tongji Summer School program now for the second year of 2022 where she has been teaching in genetic and molecular epidemiology, and hoped all the students have appreciated the course. For all the lecturers, it has been a rewarding and fantastic experience to participate in TJSS2022.
Lyubov Ahuja, the student representative majoring in Clinical Medicine, first thanked all professors from both Chinese and overseas universities who graced students with their time and presence, and shared with students their experience and wisdom. "Though it feels like the summer started only 2 days ago", she said, "it has actually been an entire month that we have collaborated and worked together to increase our knowledge through these stimulating classes". She cherished the opportunity to interact with medical students from different cultural backgrounds. Her heart was filled with a sense of responsibility after seeing all classmates were concerned about pressing health issues in the world. She said "well done" to her fellow students who have gone through the absolute wringer with online learning and have now come out the other end with a greater appreciation for what it means to be a student in the healthcare field.
The last but most exciting section was the awarding ceremony. Prof. Jianguo Chen, Mr. Xuanbin Qin, Party Secretary of the School of Basic Medicine, Dr. Yan LI, Party secretary of the School of Pharmacy, Prof. Zhanchun Feng, Dean of the School of Medicine and Health Management, Prof. Aihua Liao, Dean of the Institute of Reproductive Health, and Prof. Liegang Liu, Vice Dean of the School of Public Health stepped on the stage and awarded the Certificates of Recognition to the student representatives.
TJSS2022, an expanded and refined version of 2021 Tongji Summer Program (TJSP2021), has attracted the participation of over 800 students from 91 universities across 17 countries and regions. It offers nine courses covering diverse topics including Clinical Applications of Epidemiology, Nutritional Epidemiology: Methods and Practice, Genetic and Molecular Epidemiology, Scientific Writing, Health Economics and Health Policy, A Tour of the Gastrointestinal Tract, Chinese Materia Medica: Bencao and Quality Evaluation, Applied Statistics for Evidence-Based Practice, and Reproductive Health. All the courses are taught in English by renowned lecturers from world-class universities. Moreover, TJSS2022 also offers a series of master classes in the form of themed lectures that were given respectively by Prof. Margaret Chan, Founding Dean of Tsinghua Vanke School of Public Health, Prof. Michelle A. Williams, Chair of the Department of Epidemiology at the Harvard Chan School, and Prof. Teo Yik-Ying, Dean of the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health at the National University of Singapore.
Though Covid-19 keeps us apart physically, TJSS2022 brings us together online. As a response to immense uncertainties and challenges arising from global communication and learning in the wake of the pandemic, the Office of International Affairs of HUST works together with several schools of Tongji Medical College to carry out TJSP2021 and TJSS2022. It seeks to integrate high-quality teaching and research resources of the world-class universities, and hence cultivate innovative medical talents with global vision and professional competence. On this international platform, those potential medical leaders worldwide can transcend the limit of time and space, make the acquaintance of like-minded peers, and unite under the umbrella of health care in better preparing themselves for urgent medical challenges faced by the post-pandemic world. By doing so, an army to build a healthier world is expected to be put in place.
