On Tuesday 26 June, the first cohort of Nanchang University - Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) Biomedical Sciences / Clinical Biomedicine degree students attended their graduation.
The programme is the only one to offer a BSc in Biomedical Sciences and degree in Clinical Medicine at the end of the 5 year programme. The ceremony was hosted by the Programme Director Professor Zhijun Luo and Co-Director Professor Peter Heathcote.
Speeches were made by President and Principal Professor Colin Bailey and President Zhou. Both Presidents presented the certificates to the graduating students to a sound track of the Radetzky March. The Vice President International, Interim Vice President of Science and Enginering, Head of the School of Biological and Chemical Sciences (SBCS) and several lecturers on the joint-programme were there to celebrate the success of the graduating students.
Well over 50% of the graduating students are going on to postgraduate study at the best universities in the world including in China (Beijing and Shanghai) and London (QMUL and Imperial College). The programme will provide both hospital doctors and research scientists, and some will follow both paths.
The event will be remembered for its joy as well as the heat and humidity in addition to the talented musical performances given by the students at the reception. Discussions of expanding the joint programme followed the graduation along with steps to establish the joint research institute in Biomedical Sciences.
The Head of Sschool thanks Peter Heathcote and all the staff involved in the Nanchang Joint Programme for their efforts in establishing a highly prestigious and successful joint programme.
Nanchang Lecturers at the graduation included Mark Maconochie, Giulia de Falco, Rosemary Clyne, Ben Stieglitz and Steve Le Comber, who involved in the initial setup of the programme.