Two undergraduate students from the School of Nursing, Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) attended the 29th East Asian Forum of Nursing Scholars (EAFONS), held at the National University of Singapore from February 26 to 28. As one of East Asia’s most influential nursing academic events, the forum brought together hundreds of scholars, researchers, and practitioners from across the region.

Ms. SHEN Zimo and Mr. WANG Jiawei presented posters on “Healthy Aging” and “Chronic Disease Management,” respectively. A scholar noted that sending undergraduates to attend such a forum reflects their university’s strong commitment to the cultivation of research competence of its students. During networking sessions, the students exchanged ideas with young researchers on research design, methodologies, and future collaborations, aligning with the forum’s emphasis on socially responsive, clinically grounded research.

In a separate event, Ms. ZHANG Xinyao, another undergraduate from the School of Nursing, participated, from February 5 to 26, in a “Developing Cultural Competence” online program hosted by North Carolina State University. The program brought together students from the United States, Brazil, the United Kingdom, France, Japan, and other countries to explore cultural analysis frameworks such as the “Cultural Iceberg,” “Onion Model,” and the “3P Model” (Products, Practices, Perspectives). Using the Chinese Spring Festival "red envelope" tradition as a case study, Ms. ZHANG demonstrated how to deconstruct a cultural phenomenon through the 3P framework, helping international peers understand the values and perspective of the practice. In group discussions on proverbs and communication styles, she compared Chinese idioms and their Brazilian counterparts, highlighting how cultural differences influence the way of communicating care or concern.

At these international activities, these undergraduate students showcased the School of Nursing’s dedication to broadening students’ global perspectives and fostering cross-cultural competence and their academic ability.