New students deliver a speech at the opening ceremony for the Shanghai University of TCM on Sept 10.
The Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) held an opening ceremony for the students of 2020 on Sept 10.
This is the first year of the Tu Youyou class, which takes its name from Tu Youyou, a Chinese Nobel laureate who discovered artemisinin. She once said that artemisinin is a gift from TCM to the world.
The class is jointly organized by the university and the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences where Tu worked as chief scientist to cultivate high-caliber TCM personnel. It is a nine-year course resulting in a doctoral degree.
Tian Siqi, who represents students in the Tu Youyou class, said the following: "Five years ago, Tu won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discovering artemisinin, which made TCM accepted and admired around the world. This year, TCM therapy has played an important role in controlling the COVID-19 epidemic, earning international praise. The profound culture of TCM fascinates us, and we hope that it will continue to flourish throughout our lives."
Mihail Trohin, a Moldovan student who represents the university's international students, said that the opportunity to study TCM in China is a "big gift" for him. His Chinese name is Da Liwu, which means "big gift" in English.
He said he is looking forward to exploring TCM in Shanghai and will strive to become a qualified medical worker and envoy of TCM culture for the sake of human health.
Wang Zhenwei, a Shanghai TCM doctor who served in Wuhan during the COVID-19 epidemic and received this year's honorary "National Advanced Individual in the Fight Against the COVID-19 Epidemic" title, delivered a speech at the ceremony.
He shared his life experiences from the time when he was a student at the university to when he became a doctor and teacher. He also told stories from when he was a frontline medical worker in Wuhan, a Chinese city once hit hard by the coronavirus.
Xu Jianguang, principal of the university, encouraged new students to be advocates, promoters, and leaders instead of bystanders in the development of TCM. "You don't have to live the way we want you to, because our imaginations are no longer sufficient to imagine your futures."
Because Sept 10 was Teachers' Day, student representatives offered flowers to teachers to celebrate their hard work.