On September 2, the Southern University of Science and Technology-King’s College London School of Medicine (SUSTech-King’s School of Medicine) held a welcome event for its inaugural class of freshmen at the SUSTech Convention Center.

Attendees from SUSTech included President Qikun XUE, Vice President and Provost Hongwei FANG, and Acting Vice President Jinfeng JIA. Representing King’s College London were President Shitij Kapur and Vice President for International, Engagement, and Service Funmi Olonisakin.

The event was also attended by department heads from both institutions, as well as all the freshmen and faculty members of the SUSTech-King’s School of Medicine.

President Qikun XUE extended a warm welcome to the freshmen and highlighted the strong collaboration between SUSTech and King’s College London in Sino-foreign cooperative education. He expressed gratitude to all those who have supported and contributed to this partnership.

He noted that the SUSTech-King’s School of Medicine is enrolling students for the first time in 2024, and encouraged the freshmen to fully utilize the extensive resources and platforms offered by both universities. He urged them to embrace challenges with determination, seize opportunities, and push beyond their limits to achieve personal growth and success.

“We are delighted to welcome the first cohort of students to the SUSTech-King’s School of Medicine. Our programmes in Biomedical Science and Biomedical Engineering combine King’s research and teaching excellence with SUSTech’s cutting-edge facilities to educate the next generation of healthcare professionals. I would like to thank SUSTech President, Professor XUE Qikun, the Chinese Ministry of Education, and the Shenzhen Government for their support of this initiative”, said King’s President Shitij Kapur.

Songling WANG, Dean of the SUSTech-King’s School of Medicine, and Thérèse Hesketh, Executive Dean of the SUSTech-King’s School of Medicine, encouraged the freshmen to embrace their learning journey and aspire to become future medical leaders with a global perspective and innovative mindset.

Xiyu ZHENG, a freshman at the SUSTech-King’s School of Medicine, spoke on behalf of the students. She expressed her pride and excitement at joining the SUSTech-King’s School of Medicine, emphasizing the importance of utilizing the school’s resources, facing challenges head-on, and striving for excellence in the medical field.

Following the speeches, Presidents Qikun XUE and Shitij Kapur jointly unveiled the SUSTech-King’s School of Medicine.

The event also provided an opportunity for the freshmen to engage in a Q&A session about the school’s talent training, development goals, and unique advantages, with representatives from the SUSTech-King’s School of Medicine addressing their inquiries to help them integrate smoothly into campus life.

For its inaugural class, the SUSTech-King’s School of Medicine has recruited nearly 60 students from seven provinces, including Shandong, Hunan, Zhejiang, Guangdong, Jiangsu, Sichuan, and Henan.