In the afternoon of July 30, the 2-week 2021 Tongji Summer Program (TSP2021) of Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) was successfully concluded. The session was attended by Professor Shu Xiaogang, Vice Dean of Tongji Medical College, Director Dong Weiguo of the Department of Graduate Student Affairs of Tongji Medical College, Vice-Director Hu Ruimin of the Office of International Affairs of HUST, Vice-Director Shu Tao of the Academic Affairs Office of Tongji Medical College, Professor Pan An and Professor Wang Qi of the School of Public Health of HUST. The closing ceremony was hosted by Ms. Wang Haikun from the Office of International Affairs of HUST.

Vice Dean Shu Xiaogang first emphasized the international nature of the TSP program. He pointed out that in addition to students and faculty from HUST, the program also attracted a wide range of participants from domestic and international universities, including Sun Yat-sen University in China, National University of Singapore, Kyoto University in Japan, Queen Mary University of London, University of Birmingham in the UK, and University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany.

Professor Shu also stressed the innovative feature of this summer program. He said that TSP2021 adopted a combination of online and offline lecture format, which was a valuable effort for Tongji Medical College to hold summer courses. He believed that this attempt, while well recognized by teachers and students, also provided practical experience for the expansion of the TSP program in the future.

To close, Vice Dean Shu Xiaogang noted that the summer program brought together outstanding faculty and students in public health and epidemiology worldwide. Such high-quality international exchange reflects the aspiration and action of Tongji Medical College to promote global collaboration and contribute to the construction of the community of common health for mankind. He concluded by congratulating the participants of TSP and thanking the faculty, students, and staff who worked together to prepare the program.

Professor Xiaogang Shu, Vice Dean of Tongji Medical College, delivering closing remarks

Professor Pan An of the School of Public Health congratulated the students on completing the TSP2021 and expressed his sincere thanks to the school leaders, lecturers, and staff who had made great efforts to promote and organize the program. Professor Pan reviewed the process from intention to implementation of the TSP program. He further emphasized the imperative to strengthen international exchanges, especially in public health and clinical epidemiology, to counter global public health challenges amid the pandemic.

Professor Pan An reiterated his thanks to the faculty and students who participated in the program. He said they had created a strong academic atmosphere through productive interaction, and together they have brought up a series of high-quality and in-depth courses. He hoped that all participants would have experiences and gains through these courses and encouraged them to increase their knowledge with a good moral character, making further contributions to the public health sector.

Professor An Pan, Professor of the School of Public Health at HUST, delivering remarks at the closing ceremony

Student representative Rochin Hernandez Rodolfo shared his feelings about participating in the project. He said he benefited a lot from the courses. In addition to gaining knowledge, the personal experiences shared by the lecturers also motivated him to develop his career in the medical field. He also said that the pandemic was both a challenge and an opportunity and that this program brought together worldwide participants, providing opportunities for creative thinking and international research collaboration. Finally, he expressed his gratitude to the faculty, students, and staff who participated in TSP2021.

Student representative Rochin Hernández Rodolfo sharing his TSP2021 experience

Participants were awarded certificates by school leaders and teachers

The 2021 Tongji Summer Program of Tongji Medical College of HUST was held for two weeks, from July 19 to July 30. The program was sponsored by Tongji Medical College and the Office of International Affairs of HUST and organized by the School of Public Health. TSP2021 was also the first phase of the TSP program. The program gathered a teaching team from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, University of Bern in Switzerland, Zhejiang University in China, and Sun Yat-sen University in China, and has offered three English courses in epidemiology to HUST students and faculty in an online and offline format. Participants who complete the courses will receive a course certificate.

2021 Tongji Summer Program Class Photos

In addition to HUST students and faculty, TSP is open to member schools of HUST's Key Partnership Initiative, Sino-German Consortium for Medical Education, and universities from countries of the Belt and Road Initiative. The program attracted many non-HUST students. In addition to the HUST faculty and students who participated offline, 274 overseas participants took the TSP courses online. The TSP program created a unique exchange opportunity for participants worldwide while also built a valuable knowledge sharing platform.

The lecturer and students communicated online via zoom

The world is currently facing the challenge posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. By holding the Tongji Summer Program, Tongji Medical College of HUST is committed to overcoming the obstacles of the pandemic through educational exchanges that are both academic, innovative, and international, endeavoring to create a high-quality global academic exchange platform with demonstration value.

Group photo of the opening and closing ceremonies