First Time in the History of Medical Education: Master’s Students from the People’s Republic of China Have Successfully Defended Their Theses at GrSMU

Five talented Master’s students from the People’s Republic of China – Dong Kun, Li Zhongzheng, Sun Tiantian, Xu Peng and Cai Miaoqing – specializing in General Medicine have completed their studies at GrSMU. This was the first intake of Master’s students from China.

The defense of Master’s theses took place today. Mikhail Nikolaevich Kurbat, Vice-Rector for Research at GrSMU, highlighted the significance of the occasion:

“Today we sat in the defense of Master’s theses prepared by our Master’s students – citizens of the People’s Republic of China, who studied in English. These are Master’s students who this year studied in the specialty “General Medicine”. This is a unique case, the first in the history of medical education – not only of our University, but of all medical education in general. Bachelors, who received a degree in the People’s Republic of China, entered our institution for advanced higher education, that is, a Master’s degree, with instruction in English. Today, they demonstrated an excellent standard of research, a strong track record of publishing their findings and the successful integration of these results into both educational and clinical practice. Most importantly, they are prepared to apply the knowledge they have gained not only here at Grodno State Medical University, but also back in their home country.

I hope that their level of preparation has indeed proven to be sufficiently high. I would like to extend special thanks to their academic supervisors, as well as the entire teaching staff who worked with our Master’s students, for the knowledge they imparted. I realize that a first experience is always challenging, but the most important thing is that today we truly enjoyed hearing the results of their research”.

As Tatsiana Leanidauna Stsiapura, Associate Professor at the Department of Normal Physiology, explained, the program was conducted in English and lasted one year. Curricula, classes and electronic educational and methodological complex were created for the Master’s course. Two such complexes were developed by the Department of Normal Physiology considering specializations. Several departments, as well as the Educational and Methodological Department and other University units participated in preparing the Master’s program. 

Inna Petrovna Doroshkevich, Head of the Examination Board and Chief Physician of Grodno Regional Endocrinology Dispensary, also noted the high level of knowledge demonstrated by the Master’s students. According to her, the graduates showed strong theoretical background and confidently answered all questions posed by the Board members.  

Li Zhongzheng shared his impressions of his Master’s studies at GrSMU:

“I believe that in the future more and more students will study at Grodno State Medical University. Good relations have been established between our universities and countries. My time at the University flew by; the teachers were responsive, offering support and assistance in every way while imparting a wealth of new knowledge. A Master’s program is the first step into research work and I may continue with it in the future. I have now gained experience in research and scientific activity. Successful completion of the Master’s program, high grades and the knowledge I’ve acquired are all taken into account by employers, that’s why this graduation is a significant milestone in my professional career.

In addition to their studies, Li Zhongzheng along with other Master’s students had the opportunity to explore rich cultural heritage of our country. They visited Brest and Minsk and spent the year getting to know Grodno. Li describes it as a magnificent city; he was captivated by Belarusian culture, traditions, and, above all, the cuisine.

The advanced education they received has provided a solid foundation for their professional journeys; it not only broadened their academic horizons, but also gave them a confident career start, enabling them to navigate modern medical standards with assurance and apply their research skills in practice.