Persistence key to success, university president says

Chen Guoqiang, president of Hainan Medical University

"I come from humble beginnings. I was born and grew up in the countryside. I was not a straight-A student. But as long as you stick to your beliefs, with relentless efforts, you will make the impossible possible, and your dream will come true," said Chen Guoqiang, president of Hainan Medical University, at a ceremony on Sept 18 to mark the start of the academic year.

An expert in pathologic physiology and an academician with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chen is known for his humor and frankness. He has served as president of Hainan Medical University since mid-September.

In the speech, which has gone viral online, Chen talked about how he failed the national college entrance examination in 1979. He studied harder and passed the exam the next year, and was admitted to a medical school in Hengyang, Hunan province.

In his sophomore year, Chen was distracted by detective novels. However, after listening to renowned Professor Wang Zhenyi, who had traveled from Shanghai to give nine lectures in a week, Chen changed his perspective.

"I didn't understand much of them (lectures), but I was deeply convinced by the powerful logic of medical science and Professor Wang's charisma," Chen recalled. "I realized that there are still many scientific questions to be solved. So I made up my mind to become Professor Wang's student."

Tutored by Wang, Chen obtained his master's degree in 1985 and earned a doctorate in 1992.

He uses his own story to explain to students that good exam results don't necessarily equate to real talent, and hard work is what makes dreams come true.

Chen, 60, is still living his dream. He was vice-president of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and dean of its School of Medicine. He said he moved from Shanghai to Hainan province to start a new chapter in his life.

Over the next 10 years, he plans to devote his life to the development of the 76-year-old Hainan Medical University, as well as medical services in Hainan.

"I not only aim to build up the strength of the university and create a new situation there, but I also want to cultivate high-quality medical talent and aid the… construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port," Chen said.

Hainan Medical University has the largest international student population in the province. It initiated the Belt and Road Tropical Medical Alliance, which was established in 2018.

"As a primary hub along the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, Hainan is pioneering the country's high-level opening up. If our university improves overall educational quality and facilities, we will draw more international students from the Belt and Road partner countries, especially from Southeast Asia," Chen said.

He called for the faculty and students to take the initiative to make changes. "Only with changes can we break new ground, and only with changes can we improve ourselves, our future, our university, our country and even the world," he said.

China, Pakistan work together on medicine

Anzal Mahnoor enjoys her time as a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery student at Hainan Medical University, located in Haikou, Hainan province.

"Here in this university, I get a chance to make wonderful friends, and I get a chance to fulfill my dream to become a good doctor," said the 24-year-old from Pakistan. "I get a lot of knowledge regarding my studies from my best teachers."

She is among the abundant talent coming to Hainan because of the growing medical cooperation between China and Pakistan in the past decade thanks to the Belt and Road Initiative.

China proposed the idea of building an "economic belt along the Silk Road" in Kazakhstan in 2013, which, combined with the proposal of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, eventually became the Belt and Road Initiative.

As a primary hub along the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, Hainan has made use of favorable supporting policies and its unique advantages to pioneer the country's high-level opening-up.

In the past 10 years, China has seen increasing medical cooperation with countries and regions building the Belt and Road, including Pakistan. Tens of thousands of health professionals have been trained in areas such as health management, public health and medical research.

In Hainan, the Belt and Road Tropical Medical Alliance was established in 2018, led by Hainan Medical University. The alliance has several member units from Pakistan.

The alliance has organized five medicine forums. More than 120 universities, medical institutions and research institutes from more than 30 countries and regions have joined the alliance.

Medical cooperation between China and Pakistan has brought opportunities for many students from Pakistan.

This summer, in Dongfang, Hainan, a number of students from Pakistan and China formed a medical team at a local health center to provide cardiopulmonary resuscitation training and other medical services to villagers.

"This university has given me a lot of education," said Malik Usman Haider, 27, a student from Pakistan studying medicine at Hainan Medical University. "In the future, I want to stay here. China has given me so much and the government helps me, and the university also helps me a lot, so I want to give them something in return. It is a way to say thank you."

"I want to become a good doctor in the future," said Fraz Ahmad Shams, 28, also from Pakistan and a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery student at Hainan Medical University. "Maybe I will come back to China to do my master's degree."

Xia Qianfeng, dean of the Tropical Medical School at Hainan Medical University, said that the Belt and Road Tropical Medical Alliance will continue to work with all member units to build a bridge of friendship with the world, and provide more opportunities for public health cooperation.

Lauded medical expert shares dream of future to students at Hainan Medical University

"I come from humble beginnings. I was born and grew up in the countryside. I was not a straight-A student. But as long as you stick to your belief, with relentless efforts, you will make the impossible possible, and your dream will come true," said Chen Guoqiang, president of Hainan Medical University, at the opening ceremony inaugurating the 2023-24 academic year on Sept 18.

An expert in pathologic physiology and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chen is known for his humor and frankness. He has served as president of Hainan Medical University since mid-September.

Chen shared in the speech that he failed in the national college entrance examination in 1979, studied all over for the next year, and was admitted to a medical school in Hengyang, Hunan province.

In his sophomore year, Chen was addicted to detective novels, but after listening to the renowned professor Wang Zhenyi, who came from Shanghai and gave nine lectures in a week in Hengyang, Chen became enlightened.

"I didn't understand much of them, but I was deeply convinced by the powerful logic of medical science and professor Wang's charisma," Chen recalled. "I realized that there are still many scientific questions to be solved. So I made up my mind to become professor Wang's student."

Chen managed to pursue his master's degree tutored by professor Wang in 1985, and later a doctorate in 1992.

Chen used his own story to encourage students that doing well in exams doesn't necessarily mean that one is a real talent, and hard work can make dreams come true.

For Chen, at age 60, he still lives his dream. He was vice president of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and dean of its School of Medicine. Moving from Shanghai to Hainan province, Chen said, he was ready to start a new chapter in his life. In the next ten years, he plans to devote his life to the development of the 76-year-old Hainan Medical University, and medical services in Hainan.

"I not only aim to build up the strength and open up a new situation for the university, but also want to cultivate a batch of high-quality medical talents and help the soft environment construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port," said Chen.

He believed that the construction of a high-level international medical university in Hainan is important for the free trade port, the nation and the world.

"Constructing the Hainan Free Trade Port is a major national strategy, and medical services and education are key factors in attracting and retaining high-quality talents to the free trade port," he explained.

Hainan Medical University has the largest international student population in the province. It initiated the Belt and Road Tropical Medical Alliance, which was established in 2018.

"As a primary hub along the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, Hainan is pioneering the country's high-level opening up. If our university improves overall educational quality and facilities, we will draw more international students from the Belt and Road countries, especially from Southeast Asia," Chen said.

Daring to change, as Chen put it, is the greatest challenge of change. He called for faculty and students to take the initiative to make changes. "Only with changes can we break new ground, and only with changes can we improve ourselves, our future, our university, our country and even the world," he said.