From March 2 to March 4, 2022, the CAMPUS Asia (Asian Community of Higher Education) held its annual conference of the Program for Raising Research Leaders in Medical and Public Health via a video link. Over 50 participants from partner institutions in China (Peking University, Tsinghua University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Guangdong Pharmaceutical University), Japan (Osaka University), the Republic of Korea (Yonsei University), and Thailand (Mahidol University) attended the conference. Professor XU Baiyu from the Office of International Cooperation, Peking University Health Science Center, Professor WANG Peiyu, Vice Dean REN Tao, Associate Professor SHI Yuhui, Associate Professor GAO Wenjing, Associate Research Fellow HUANG Jing, Director of the Party Committee Office LIU Jie from the School of Public Health, Peking University, as well as 18 graduate students from related schools and departments, attended the conference.

The Program for Raising Research Leaders in Medical and Public Health under CAMPUS Asia has been in operation for over six years since its joint approval by the Ministries of Education in China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) in October, 2016. In the past six years, the Program has achieved productive results, not only in establishing a student exchange mechanism covering short, medium, and long terms, but also in launching the only international doctoral double-degree program in the field of public health in China. Today, the Program has become the flagship international exchange choice for students in our school.

Signing of the program contract

In 2021, the Program was the first one to be listed in the Campus Asia Mode 3 by China’s Ministry of Education and approved by the Ministries of Education in China, Japan, and ROK. Compared with Mode 2, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University was added and, for the first time, a university from ASEAN countries, Mahidol University, was added. In the Mode 3, the Program focuses on building a higher education community for Asia, with its influence extending to countries of the Belt and Road Initiative in greater breadth, scope and depth.

This is the first annual conference of the CAMPUS Asia Mode 3, and the first meeting following its extension from China, Japan and ROK to ASEAN universities. Holding the conference at this important time point is highly crucial for advancing future development of the Program.

The annual conference consists of four sessions.

The first session was held on the morning of March 2, with the theme of review and expectation. The five founding universities of the Program respectively presented summary reports. Meanwhile, the new partner institutions (Guangdong Pharmaceutical University and Mahidol University) also shared their views and expectations for the cooperation and exchanges to come.

The online welcoming ceremony

As the person in charge of this Program on the Chinese side, WANG Peiyu, Vice Dean of the School of Public Health, Peking University, presented a speech on the topic “Experience, Achievement and Wisdom in the past 5 years, and Plan for further International Collaboration (tentative)”. He summarized the medium- and short-term exchanges and doctoral double-degree programs between Peking University and universities in Japan and ROK since its launch, and took a look into the future development of the Program.

Professor WANG Peiyu made his remarks.

Professor WANG Peiyu introduced the operations of the Program.

Professor WANG Peiyu summarized the achievements made in the Program.

The second session was held from the afternoon of March 2 to March 3, focusing on academic exchanges. Experts and scholars from partner institutions were invited to make presentations on specific topics. HUANG Jing, Associate Research Fellow from the Department of Occupational & Environmental Health Sciences, presented a report titled Air pollution control and health benefits in China. On the morning of March 3, GAO Wenjing, Associate Professor from the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, discussed the results of “twin research in China and worldwide”. Both reports were enthusiastically received with questions from the participating experts.

Then, the third session was held on the morning of March 4, focusing on alumni presentations and group discussions. Dr. AN Hang from our School shared his research results titled the distribution of mercury and the risk of spontaneous preterm birth: A nested case control study. During the group discussions, the 18 students actively attended and were warmly welcomed by each group. They explored new knowledge and engaged in stimulating cross-cultural discussions and exchanges of ideas. The final group report was appreciated and praised by the experts.

Students’ group discussions

The last session, internal communication meeting of the program groups, was held on the afternoon of March 4, focusing on implementation and communication. The program groups first welcomed the two new partner institutions. Afterwards, all groups from the partner institutions discussed the future development of the Program, the implementation of doctoral double-degree programs, and international researches, which builds the foundation for subsequent in-depth cooperation.

The internal communication meeting of the program groups

Participants toast to the new Mode of CAMPUS Asia

In 2022, due to the continued severity of COVID-19 worldwide, exchanges under the Program still cannot be carried out offline. However, we believe that ideas will by no means fade online. The excellent reports and practical discussions were well received by the participating faculty and students, and both new and old partner institutions have full expectations for the bright prospects of the CAMPUS Asia. We hope that in the future, an increasing number of leaders in public health with broad global vision and excellent research capabilities will emerge from the Program of Research Leaders in Medical and Public Health of CMAPUS Asia (Asian Community of Higher Education) and contribute to the development of public health in China and the world.