A hundred years of medical education at NCU-Distinguished alumnus (1) Professor Luo Zhijun of Class 1978

Professor Luo Zhijun, alumnus of Class 1978, Jiangxi Medical College

Brief Introduction

Prof. Luo is the dean of Nanchang University--Queen Mary University of London Joint programme, Ganjiang Specially-appointed Professor, visiting professor of Department of Surgery at University of Illinois at Chicago, winner of Lushan Friendship Award in Jiangxi Province, Ph.D., Einstein College of Medicine, USA, Postdoctorate at Harvard University, winner of the Ganpo"555"Talent Project in Jiangxi Province, director of the Lipid Metabolism and Bioenergetics Branch of Chinese Biophysical Society, and Chairman of Jiangxi Province Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. He used to be an associate professor at Boston University, associate dean of Nanchang University School of Medicine, and dean of School of Basic Medicine. Prof Luo obtained two US invention patents and published 83 SCI papers, including 2 papers in the top international journal Nature, with over 9,000 times of citation. He possesses unique academic characteristics in his professional field and is well-known at home and abroad.

Major Accomplishments

In 2011, Professor Luo resolutely gave up the superior living and working environment in the United States and returned to China to devote himself to higher education and scientific research in Jiangxi. With the knowledge he learned and years of accumulated experience, he has made significant contribution to the talent training and international education of his alma mater Nanchang University:

Building a distinctive brand of Sino-foreign cooperative education: In 2012, Professor Luo, as a core figure who represented Nanchang University, he and Queen Mary University of London conducted negotiations for a cooperative education plan, and was in charge of the formulation of teaching goals and curriculum syllabus. For this joint programme, Professor Luo traveled between China, the United Kingdom, and the United States many times, constantly negotiating and consulting with experts; writing and revising the application materials day and night. Eventually, China’s first and only Sino-foreign cooperative education project in clinical medicine at the time -Nanchang University--Queen Mary University of London Joint programme gained official approval from the Ministry of Education, creating a precedent for similar cooperation in medical education in Jiangxi Province, and opening a door for the world to understand Jiangxi in depth. With innovative ideas, a determined heart to reform, Prof. Luo wholeheartedly leads the development of the college. Over the years, he has organized abundant student activities: "Extensive Wisdom Benefiting Ganpo Region-Lectures of Jiangxi International Cooperative Education and Scientific Research" English Speech Contest on Students' Research Paper, summer camps of Queen Mary University of London, Peking University, Tsinghua University, and etc. Promoting the development of the times with the knowledge and leading the rise of academics with theory and practice, Professor Luo successfully built a distinctive brand of Sino-foreign joint programme in Jiangxi.

Organizing English Speech Contest

Encouraging students to participate in summer camps at Peking University and Tsinghua University

Enhancing the global brand awareness of the joint programme: Since the beginning of the programme, Prof Luo has worked tirelessly and used his actions to contribute to the development of education in Jiangxi and enhance the reputation of international cooperation in running educational institutions in Jiangxi province. The joint programme began to recruit students nationwide in 2013, and passed the assessment of the Ministry of Education in 2017, winning unanimous praise from Chinese and foreign experts. In the past eight years, the school has achieved remarkable results, with a year-by-year improved quality of students. The scores of enrolled students in many provinces far exceeded their local entry score for key universities. The project has three batches of graduates so far, all of whom have excellent career prospects. Therefore, the joint programme has also built up its reputation in top medical schools and hospitals in the world: In 2018, there were 97 graduates in its first graduation year, with a postgraduate enrollment rate of over 70% and an overseas further study rate of 5%. The graduate admission rate of undergraduates in 2019 exceeded 50%. Among them, the acceptance rate of well-known foreign universities and domestic universities of Project 985 is as high as 70%. In 2020, the graduates of Queen Mary's College kept making great achievements. About 60% of them continue to study for postgraduate studies, and 14 are for PhD programme. The number of students entering the domestic double-class universities accounted for 67.16% of the total number of students who got admissions. Among them, the tutors of 3 students are academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences/Academicians of the Academy of Engineering; 20 students have been admitted by famous universities overseas or regions outside the border of mainland, including Imperial College London, University College London, University of Hong Kong, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary University of London, and etc. It is worth mentioning that one of the students won a scholarship from the China Scholarship Council.

Currently, students enrolled in this joint programme have won more than 100 national and provincial awards, and published more than 130 papers in SCI, CSCD, ISSN and national core journals. In 2019, the students won two national silver awards and two national bronze awards in the "Internet +" University Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition. At the same time, the programme has also brought huge economic benefits to Nanchang University.

Valuing the cultivation of students' personal qualities

Helping students apply for scholarship of China Scholarship Council

Promoting the cultivation of high-level international talents in Jiangxi: Since working as an assistant professor at Boston University in 1997, Professor Zhijun Luo has used his overseas scientific research platform and influence to successively invite, fund or send more than 40 young and middle-aged teachers from the Medical School of Nanchang University (formerly Jiangxi Medical College) to Boston University School of Medicine, The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Massachusetts General Institute and other top 100 universities in the world for further study. He has cultivated a group of high-level teaching and research personnel and students. After the teachers returned to China, the teachers successively became the backbone elites of Nanchang University, including a number of talent of Jiangxi provincial "New Century Hundred-Thousand-Ten Thousand Talent Project", provincial backbone teachers, academic leaders and pioneers, etc. The most prominent one presided over the completion of the special research project of the National Basic Research Program of China (973 program). He has become a second-level professor and won the title of national outstanding scientific and technological personnel. Another returned faculty member won 2 third prizes of Jiangxi Provincial Natural Science Award and 1 third prize of University Science and Technology Achievement Award in Jiangxi. Professor Luo also helped more than 10 young scholars apply for the National Natural Science Foundation of China by extending his research topics.

Cultivating young domestic teachers with further study opportunities at Boston University School of Medicine

Building a bridge for international cooperation in higher education: Professor Luo Zhijun acted as a bridge to facilitate the establishment of a cooperative relationship between the affiliated hospitals of Nanchang University and the medical schools of famous foreign universities with teacher training plans; he further strengthened the cooperation and exchanges between Nanchang University and Queen Mary University of London, and promoted the signing of a memorandum of understanding on cooperation between the two universities for the joint biomedical research institute so that joint talents training and research exchanges can be realized between the two; he actively pushed forward the establishment of a cooperative relationship between the School of Medicine of Nanchang University and the School of Medicine of Tulane University in the United States so that students from the two sides send medical students would visit other’s affiliated hospitals for short-term exchange internships.

Promoting cooperation with Tulane University

Promoting cooperation between the Second Affiliated Hospital of NCU and foreign medical schools

Professor Luo’s words for future

Medical education enjoys a long history at Nanchang University. Countless talents have been nurtured here and made their own mark around the world. When a man drinks water, he shall remember where the water comes from. When a man teaches, he shall not forget what his original aspiration for education is. Therefore, I will make every effort to help my alma mater grow better. Let’s embrace the 100th Anniversary together!