To evaluate the effectiveness of the joint training programme and showcase the quality of graduate education, on 6 June, the 2025 Shandong First Medical University and Jinan Microecological Biomedicine Shandong Laboratory Joint Master's Thesis Defence Conference was successfully held in the 21st-floor conference room of the laboratory.
The defence committee consisted of nine experts, with Professor Qu Xun, Director of the Clinical Basic Research Institute of Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, and doctoral supervisor, serving as chair. Committee members included Professor Yan Jie from the Medical Integration and Practice Centre of Shandong University; Professors Xiao Yonghong, Li Xinguang, and Jiang Chunping, Deputy Directors of the Jinan Microecological Biomedicine Shandong Laboratory and doctoral supervisors; and Associate Researcher Yao Mingfei, doctoral supervisor, among others. Professor Huang Shuhong from the Postgraduate Supervision Group of Shandong First Medical University served as the supervising expert for this defence conference. Professor Li Lanju, an expert in infectious diseases and member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and Professor Wu Nanping, Deputy Director of the Laboratory, among other postgraduate supervisors, attended the conference both online and offline.
The defence strictly followed the standard procedures for master's thesis defences, with a solemn and rigorous atmosphere. The 10 jointly trained postgraduate students presented their defence PowerPoint presentations one by one, providing a comprehensive and systematic exposition of their theses from aspects such as the background of the topic selection, research objectives, research methods, research content, research findings, and innovative points, fully demonstrating the solid professional knowledge, innovative spirit of exploration, and strong research capabilities they had accumulated during the joint training process.
During the question-and-answer session, the committee experts adopted a rigorous and pragmatic academic attitude, providing in-depth comments and questions on multiple dimensions, including the optimisation of research methods, data analysis and processing, and the in-depth expansion of conclusions. They also offered highly constructive guidance on deepening research directions or applying research outcomes from the perspectives of disciplinary development and industry practice. The students thought carefully, responded calmly, and engaged in in-depth academic discussions with the experts, creating a vibrant academic atmosphere on-site.
After rigorous review by the defence committee, all 10 jointly trained master's students successfully passed their defences. The experts highly commended the quality of the theses and the performance of the students during the defence, noting that the thesis topics had strong theoretical significance and practical value, with well-documented research content, thorough arguments, and clear logic. This effectively demonstrated the enhanced capabilities of students in combining academic research with practical application under the joint training model, vividly showcasing the robust vitality of ‘industry-education integration and science-education convergence.’
The successful holding of this defence meeting marks an important milestone in the long-term deepening of strategic cooperation between Shandong First Medical University and the Jinan Microecology Biomedical Provincial Laboratory, as well as their joint efforts to build a high-level talent cultivation platform. Looking ahead, both parties will continue to rely on the joint training mechanism of ‘resource sharing, complementary advantages, and collaborative talent cultivation’ to continuously optimise training programmes, enhance talent cultivation quality, and cultivate more outstanding talents with innovative thinking, practical abilities, and comprehensive qualities for the nation and society.
Also in attendance at the meeting were relevant personnel from the Jinan Microecological Biomedicine Shandong Laboratory.
