2014-09-22

Ten postgraduate students from Shantou University Medical College (SUMC) undertook a four-week Winter School Program in Biomedical Research at the University of Western Australia (UWA) during August 2014 to improve their English language skills as well as biomedical research skills. They were part of a delegation from China, which included postgraduate students from Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Medical School of Nanjing University and Wenzhou Medical University. This is the fifth year SUMC sent its postgraduate students abroad for training. Winthrop Professor Ming Hao Zheng, Associate Dean (International), UWA Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, who is an alumnus of SUMC, lectured to the students and instructed them in experimental skills personally.

In the first week, the students underwent English training at the Clinical Training and Evaluation Center (CTEC) of UWA in preparation for the follow-up training in research skills. In the next three weeks, the students were placed, based on their research interests, in several different laboratories for intensive research skills training, including Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, The Cancer and Palliative Care Research and Evaluation Unit, Lions Eye Institute, Centre for Translational Orthopaedic Research, and Centre for Comparative Genomics.

On the last day, the students were required to report in English on their studies over the past four weeks at UWA, where two SUMC students Ms. Lin Huang and Ms. Liu Daichun won the sixth place among 46 participants. At the end of the report meeting, certificates were awarded to the students by Professor Ian B. Puddey, Dean of UWA’sFaculty Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences.

During this visit, the students were lodging in some local families, allowing them to experience the local life and culture in Australia.

This one-month study experience has helped to greatly improve the students’ English language skills, cross-cultural communication skills and research skills, and to enhance their global outlook.