On July 6, the opening ceremony of the 2026 Huaxi MedElite Global Summer Program was held in the Multi-Function Hall of Houde Building at West China School of Medicine, Sichuan University (WCSM). Ms. Yang Xiaomin, Deputy Director of the Academic Affairs Office of Sichuan University, and Ms. Yuan Wen, Deputy Director of the International Office, attended the ceremony, along with Professor Luo Fengming, Dean of West China School of Medicine and President of West China Hospital, and Professor Wang Kunjie, Executive Vice Dean of WCSM. Also present were leaders from the School of Nursing, the School of Medical Technology, relevant administrative departments, representatives from the Department of Internal Medicine, and Chinese faculty members partnering with international experts. This year’s program reached a new scale, bringing together 11 international expert instructors, 43 overseas medical students, and 59 WCSM students (both domestic and international).
In his opening remarks, Dean Luo Fengming extended a warm welcome to all participating experts and students. He reviewed WCSM’s century-long legacy in medical education and its history of international engagement, and introduced the enhanced program structure and activities of this year’s Summer Program. He encouraged all participants to make the most of the four-week program by deepening their professional knowledge, engaging in diverse exchanges, and immersing themselves in the educational traditions of West China and the cultural charm of Chengdu. He expressed his hope that through cross-cultural communication, participants would develop mutual understanding and friendship, and grow into future medical professionals with solid expertise and a global perspective.
Representatives of the international expert faculty delivered speeches, highly commending WCH’s sustained commitment to international medical education and affirming the program’s well-designed curriculum and diverse exchange formats. They encouraged students to break down geographical and cultural barriers, engage in active communication and deep academic dialogue, broaden their global health vision, and make progress together through mutual learning.
Deputy Director Yang Xiaomin and Deputy Director Yuan Wen presented the program’s exclusive panda mascots to the international experts on behalf of the university. Student representatives from both China and abroad then shared their expectations for the newly upgraded program. They expressed their appreciation for this multicultural exchange platform and looked forward to learning from one another through clinical practice, academic seminars, and city cultural visits, while jointly exploring new directions in global medical development.
At the closing of the ceremony, Executive Vice President Wang Kunjie, Dean Li Ka of the School of Nursing, and Executive Dean Li Zhenlin of the School of Allied Health Sciences presented program badges to student representatives, officially marking the opening of the 2026 Program.
This year’s program is a comprehensively upgraded international study initiative built upon the 2025 International Exchange Camp. As part of Sichuan University’s “International Course Week” series, the Summer Program has now been successfully held for twelve consecutive sessions. Looking ahead, WCH will continue to strengthen the brand of “Huaxi International Exchange Season”, enhance the platform for global medical youth exchange, and through regular high-level international programs, empower medical students with global competence, while further extending the international reach and influence of West China medical education.
