On September 27, the opening ceremony for the 2025 undergraduate freshmen of the International School of Medicine, Zhejiang University was held. 138 freshmen from 45 countries on six continents put on white coats, pinned on Zhejiang University badges, took the medical student oath, and officially embarked on their journey of learning and exploration.
Huang Hefeng, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and director of the School of Pharmacy at Zhejiang University, welcomed the new students. She offered three pieces of advice to the new students: maintain curiosity and ask questions bravely in class, in the laboratory, and even in daily interactions; be courageous in exploration, step outside the campus to explore the city of Yiwu, and take the opportunity to travel to other parts of China; and be open and inclusive, treating every new experience and every person with an open and respectful attitude.
Ms.Gong Shujuan, Executive Vice Mayor, introduced the development of Yiwu, the city where the university is located and an important node city of the Belt and Road Initiative. On behalf of the Yiwu Government, she expressed support for the development and growth of International School of Medicine, Zhejiang University and pledged to do everything possible to create a better working, learning, and living environment for teachers and students. She also expressed her hope to continue deepening strategic cooperation with Zhejiang University and jointly create a model of university-local government collaboration and win-win development.
As a faculty representative, Professor Li Xin, Executive Director of the RNA Medical Center, shared three key words for studying abroad: connection, competence, and goals. He hopes that upon graduation, the new students will gain not only a diploma, but also rigorous critical thinking, sparks of creativity, the balanced wisdom of Eastern philosophy, and the dedication of their teachers, thus becoming ambassadors for peace and development.
Scholarship recipient Eaint Aunt Auw (Myanmar) spoke on behalf of the new students. She said that medical training is not limited to textbooks and laboratories; it also requires cultivating patience, empathy, and courage. All new students will embark on this journey together with professors, seniors, and classmates, developing the skills, wisdom, and compassion to become doctors, until one day they apply these to healing patients and serving society.
Wang Kai, Chairman of the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine and the International School of Medicine, and Lou Xiaoxiao, Vice Dean of the International School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, presented certificates to eight freshmen scholarship recipients.
Following this was a solemn ceremony for awarding white coats and pinning school badges. Some of the attending leaders draped white coats over the new student representatives, and all the new students put on the white coats symbolizing responsibility and mission, and pinned on the Zhejiang University school badge, thus beginning their new journey as medical students and as members of the Zhejiang University community.
After donning their white coats, all the new students solemnly took the medical student oath under the guidance of their clinical mentors: to dedicate themselves to medicine and serve humanity.
The opening ceremony concluded successfully with the Zhejiang University anthem.
