Writers: Qiao Weili, Fu Lu Photo Provider: Sun Hong
From May 8 to 10, 2026, Jeremiah Ong'achwa Machuki, a PhD candidate majoring in Physiology at our university, took the lead in organizing the inaugural Physiology Knowledge Competition and Teaching Seminar of the East African Society of Physiological Sciences (EASPS) at the University of Rwanda. Centered on the theme of Advancing Physiology Education in East Africa, the event drew enthusiastic participation from teachers and students of 23 universities across 7 East African countries, setting off an upsurge in academic exchanges on physiology teaching and education in the region.
The founding of the East African Physiology Competition was inspired and driven by the China Physiology Knowledge Competition, which our university has nurtured and run for over a decade. As the permanent organizer and undertaker of this national competition, our university has refined its competition mechanism over years. The education philosophy of promoting learning and teaching through competitions has been widely recognized by domestic universities, making the event a signature brand for our university’s innovative basic medical education and academic disciplinary exchanges. During his doctoral studies, Jeremiah was deeply involved in competition preparation and twice served as host of the China Physiology Knowledge Competition, gaining profound insights into its educational concepts and operational models. Through long-term study and immersion, he fully recognized that academic competitions play a vital role in consolidating professional knowledge, broadening academic horizons, building communication platforms and fostering high-caliber medical talents. He proactively introduced our university’s mature competition system and teaching experience to East Africa, which is of great significance to boosting physiology teaching exchanges and local medical talent cultivation in the region.
The successful holding of this event serves as a vivid practice of extending our university’s medical education influence to countries along the Belt and Road Initiative. Leveraging the influential physiology competition platform, Xuzhou Medical University will further deepen China-Africa exchanges and cooperation in medical education. Taking international students as a bridge, we will spread advanced teaching concepts and talent training models, establish new platforms for mutual learning in medical education and cultural exchanges between China and Africa, and contribute XMU’s strength to facilitating educational connectivity under the Belt and Road Initiative and boosting the development of medical education in Africa.
(First Reviewer: Qiao Weili, Second Reviewer: Tang Renxian, Third Reviewer: Han Hongliu)
