From December 17th to 24th, the University of Macau (UM) and Tsinghua University successfully convened a week-long “Traditional Chinese Medicine and Immunology Research Workshop.” Led by Prof. Xin CHEN, Director of the Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences (ICMS) at the University of Macau, alongside Deputy Director of Academic Affairs and Education Prof. Jiahong LU and Prof. Chon-Kit CHOU, 12 UM students engaged in a productive exchange with Tsinghua University faculty members and students, laying the groundwork for future collaboration.
On the inaugural day, the School of Medicine at Tsinghua University, represented by Prof. Xiaoyu HU and Prof. Yan SHI, warmly welcomed UM students and faculty. The day began with introductions of both institutions, teaching standards, and research platforms, followed by a four-hour seminar on “Traditional Chinese Medicine and Immunology.” This paved the way for deeper collaboration between the universities in these fields. In the afternoon, three UM professors, as invited experts, shared their insights into regulating the immune and nervous systems using traditional Chinese medicine. Prof. Xin CHEN drew parallels between the theory in the “Huangdi Neijing” and the modern scientific perspective on immune defense. Subsequently, three UM professors served as judges for the doctoral course “Critical Thinking in Immunology,” acquiring a comprehensive understanding of Tsinghua University’s doctoral research training.
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Figure 1: Symposium on Traditional Chinese Medicine and Immunology.
(Top Left) Prof. Xin CHEN from the UM introduces the goals, prospects, and research achievements of the Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences (ICMS);
(Top Right) Prof. Jiahong LU from the UM presents the research platform of ICMS;
(Bottom Left) Pof. Chon-Kit CHOU from the UM shares insights into the his research directions;
(Bottom Right) Prof. Xiaoyu HU and Prof. Yan SHI introduce the background of Tsinghua University’s School of Medicine and the Institute of Immunology.
(Bottom) Group photo taken at the opening ceremony.
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Figure 2: Three UM Professors Invited to Deliver Presentations at Tsinghua University School of Medicine.
(Top Left) Prof. Xin CHEN from UM giving a presentation;
(Top Right) Prof. Jiahong LU from UM delivering a presentation;
(Bottom Left) Prof. Chon-Kit CHOU from UM delivering a presentation;
(Bottom Right) Prof. Xin CHEN presents a gift to Prof. Xiaoyu HU, the Director of the Institute for Immunology at Tsinghua University.
(Bottom) From left to right: Prof. Jiahong LU from UM, Prof. Zhihua LIU from Tsinghua University, Prof. Xin Chen from UM, Prof. Xiaoyu HU from Tsinghua University, Prof. Chon-Kit CHOU from UM, and Prof. Yating WANG from Tsinghua University.
The following day, a delegation from ICMS of UM visited the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Peking University. They engaged in in-depth discussions with the Dean of the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Prof. Min YE, as well as two Vice Deans, Prof. Zhuo HUANG and Prof. Yiguang WANG, and their team regarding research collaboration and the joint cultivation of expertise in pharmacology. Subsequently, ICMS representatives visited Tsinghua University’s School of Pharmaceutical Sciences to discuss future student exchange initiatives. Prof. Ligong CHEN from Tsinghua expressed continuous support for academic exchanges and introduced a two-month Amgen Scholars Program for student summer exchanges.
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Figure 3: (Top Left and Top Right) ICMS Director Prof. Xin CHEN leads the delegation to visit the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Peking University and engages in discussions with Dean Prof. Min YE; (Bottom Left and Bottom Right) Visiting the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Tsinghua University and having discussions with Deputy Dean Prof. Ligong CHEN.
Over the seven-day research workshop, PhD students from both universities shared research progress and participated in lively discussions. The workshop also included featured courses such as “The Power of Vaccines,” “Frontiers of Biomedical Forum,” and “Introduction to Basic Medicine and Diseases’. Additionally, UM students visited Schwarzman College, Tsinghua University History Museum, and school-level scientific research platforms. On the last day of the event, UM students visited Changping Laboratory and biotechnology companies such as SineuGene and China Immunotech, gaining deeper insights into cutting-edge technologies in life sciences and pharmacy fields, learning the experience of translating findings from basic research into promising clinical applications.
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Figure 4: From left to right, and from top to bottom: Tsinghua University PhD student Xingchen LIU, UM PhD student Wenzhao ZHONG, Tsinghua University PhD student Xinyi LIU, UM PhD student Muyang HUANG, Tsinghua University PhD student Hongkai XU, and UM PhD student Yibo CHEN.
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Figure 5: (Top left) UM students listening to Researcher Zaopeng YANG’s explanation during the visit to Changping Laboratory; (Top right) Introduction by the manager of SineuGene and the AAV gene packaging process; (Bottom left) Exchange between the manager of SineuGene and the visiting UM students; (Bottom right) UM students listening to a presentation by Dr. Zai CHANG.
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Figure 6: (Left) Prof. Haitao LI from School of Medicine, Tsinghua University interacting with UM students; (Right) Group photo at the closing ceremony of the workshop.
At the closing ceremony, ICMS student representatives, Yibo CHEN and Hong U FONG, expressed gratitude for the warm hospitality from Tsinghua University. They were particularly impressed by Tsinghua’s school-level research platforms and eagerly anticipated closer cooperation between the two universities in traditional Chinese medicine and immunology.
This collaborative initiative was guided by the Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan Office of Tsinghua University and hosted by the Department of Basic Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University. The two-year preparation for the event, initiated in 2021, resulted in a successful collaboration under the theme “Traditional Chinese Medicine and Immunology.” The project received funding from the ” Ten Thousand Student Exchange Program” a student project of the 2023 Mainland and Hong Kong/Macau Student Exchange Program of the Ministry of Education.