Sichuan University is getting better and better because of the West China School of Medicine (WCSM), and the West China School of Medicine is becoming stronger and stronger because of Sichuan University. On September 29, our university held a high-level forum “New Medicine Development and Medicine/Engineering Combination" in celebration of the 124th anniversary of the founding of SCU and the 110th anniversary of the founding of WCSM to summarize the past, look into the future, promote development, and fully accelerate the development of a world-class university.
On the morning, Li Yin, governor of Sichuan Province; Ruiping Fan, Secretary of Chengdu municipal Party committee; Chen Wang, President of Peking Union Medical College; leaders of Sichuan University, some retired leaders, representatives of medical staff, alumni, teachers and students, guests and friends from all walks of life gathered together to review the 124-year glorious history of SCU and the achievements of WCSM over 110 years. Chairman Jianguo Wang presided over the opening ceremony.
The Conference kicked off in the playing of the National Anthem. Zhu Chen, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, sent in a letter his congratulations on the 124th anniversary of the founding of SCU and the 110th anniversary of the founding of WCSM. Vice President Lin Zhang read out the congratulatory letter.
On behalf of the provincial Party committee and the provincial government, Li Yin congratulated the teachers, students, staff and alumni of Sichuan University and expressed his gratitude for the great contribution SCU had made to the economic and social development of Sichuan and the country. He thanked the medical staff of West China Hospital(WCH) for the important contributions to the prevention and control of COVID-19 in China. Li Yin hoped that SCU would accomplish more original scientific works and make more contributions to the social and economic development of the region as well as the nation. The Sichuan provincial Party committee and government will continue to care and support SCU's construction and development.
In his speech, President Li of the university expressed welcome and thanks to all guests, and greetings to alumni at home and abroad. He also thanked leaders at all levels and people from all walks of life for their care, support and help. He briefly reviewed the historical achievements of Sichuan University and the West China School of Medicine. He said that WCSM joined SCU at the beginning of the new century, and has added to the discipline system of a comprehensive university and the foundation for building a world-class university. He said that SCU is comprehensively accelerating the development of a world-class university with Chinese features. The university has set a goal of "building a national medical center and developing WCSM into a world-class school of medicine". Looking into the future, the university will strive to create the best medical service of West China Hospital, fully support the scientific research of WCH, and turn the medicine/engineering combination into a new nameplate of WCH. Aslo, SCU will strive to develop a first-class talent training system at WCSM, and make WCSM the very place for more outstanding young students to pursue learning and become talent.
In his speech, Weimin Li, the teachers' representative and President of the West China Hospital/School of Medicine, said that he has witnessed the rapid development of WCSM in recent years. WCSM/WCH has achieved six breakthroughs, including academicians, national platforms, high-level research papers, national science and technology awards, national key disciplines and national advanced group award. In the meantime, it has actively undertaken social responsibility. In the prevention and control of COVID-19, it has achieved five firsts, namely, launching the emergency plan in the first time, dispatching medical professionals to Wuhan in the first time, assisting the pandemic prevention and control overseas in the first time, establishing the five-level consultation mode in the first time, and starting scientific and technological research on COVID-19 prevention and control in the first time.
The students'representative Yang Yang expressed her gratitude towards the university and teachers for the training and education. She said that they were proud to be students of WCSM, Sichuan University and would inherit and carry forward the West China spirit of SCU. She further said that they wouldstudy hard, cherish the university life , develop excellent skills, and take as their own responsibilities to heal the wounded and rescue the dying.
Fen-Er Chen, an alumni representative and academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) from Fudan University, said in his speech that Sichuan University is an ideal place to learn and study, and a sacred palace to teach science and technology. Being equipped with the knowledge, skills, spirit and strength given by their alma mater, generations of students from SCU have traveled to work in different places across the motherland and all over the world. They have contributed outstanding wisdom in the fields of politics, economy, culture, science and technology, medicine and health. He finally wished the alma mater a greater success.
In his speech, Qimin Zhan, executive vice president and director of the Peking University Health Science Center and academician of CAE, said that those who have the same aspirations will not be separated by mountains and seas. Upholding the same principles and values, Peking University and Sichuan University have always shared, since the time of founding, the same fate with the country and nation, and have always shouldered the responsibility and mission of rejuvenating the nation, contributing to the society and serving the people. He expected that in the future, Peking University and Sichuan University would hold on to the tradition, deepen cooperation, accelerate the development of world-class universities with Chinese characteristics, and make greater contributions to China's construction of a powerful country in higher education, promoting global common prosperity and better future for mankind.
Li Jin, executive vice president of Fudan University and President of Shanghai Medical College, said in his speech that Fudan University and Sichuan University, one in the east and the other in the west, have been looking out for and helping each other since the day of their birth. They maintain a high degree of spiritual agreement, and have had friendship for a hundred years. Since the beginning of the new century, the two universities have reinforced exchanges and cooperation, especially in medical science. He expected that Fudan university and Sichuan university would strengthen cooperation and together contribute to the development of higher education, the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the progress of human civilization.
Chen Wang, vice president of Chinese Academy of Engineering and President of Peking Union Medical College, said in his speech that the 21st century is a century of medicine and life sciences, and the environment and ecology of medical development will undergo great changes. I believe that WCSM will definitely play a greater role in medical technology progress, medical system reform, medical service improvement, and make greater contributions to national development, social progress and people's health.
At the opening ceremony, the university signed a cooperation agreement regarding Chengdu Health Medical Center (Future Medical City) with Chengdu East New District and Chengdu Xingcheng Group. According to the agreement, the first phase of the project (Future Medical City) will include the construction of medical service, teaching, research and production facilities in order to further promote the development of "three institutions and one park", namely a comprehensive medical center, an international medical school, a research institute and an industrial park.
In addition, SCU has also signed cooperation agreements respectively with Hainan Province, the city of Sanya, Boao Lecheng Administration Bureau and Hainan Development Holdings Co., Ltd.
Vice President Lin Zhang and Professor Yuquan Wei presided over the academician forum after the opening ceremony. At the forum, Chen Wang gave a report to share his thoughts on the direction of medical education. Qimin Zhan shared his insights on strengthening the combination of medicine and engineering and promoting the development of modern medicine; Li Jin introduced his latest achievements in biomedical research; and Daiming Fan spoke of his thoughts on the development direction and focus of modern medicine in the wake of the pandemic.
Vice President Lin Zhang of SCU and Wei Zhang, Secretary of the Party committee of the WCSM (WCH), delivered a speech at the high-level forum in the afternoon.
Witnessed by all the guests, Sichuan University Medicine/Engineering Integration Research and Transformation Platform and Sichuan University West China Medicine 5G Health Portal were officially released at the forum. These two platforms will accelerate the transformation and application of medicine/engineering integration, implement the national strategy of "Internet plus medical health", promote medical services to a new level and meet the new needs of the masses for medical health.
