A Report on the Second “Study in China Ph.D. Student Forum” in Nanjing

It is with great pleasure that I narrate my experience having been selected to attend The Second “Study in China Ph.D. Student Forum held from Oct. 31st to 2nd Nov in Nanjing. This program featured several selected Ph.D. participants chosen from different fields including Medicine, Agriculture, engineering among others. I was privileged to be the only student nominated to represent Xuzhou Medical University and to be among 12 selected Ph.D. students from various Universities across China. Each participant was allocated 15 minutes to give a presentation and showcase his academic achievements and share learning experiences in China. Among those present were invited high-level experts to evaluate, comment and ask questions to each presenter.

The conference began on 31st Oct 2019 with me being the 2nd presenter. I was accompanied by teachers from the School of International Education including my supervisor (Prof. Hong Sun) who is also the Dean SIE together with Ms. Susan (Teacher in Charger of PG admission and affairs) who offered much support throughout the preparation period. On that afternoon, I successfully delivered a presentation on a topic titled `Signaling via cAMP-L-type Ca2+ Channel Pathway Mediates Estrogenic Effects on Sex Differences in Basal Contraction and Responses to Stress’. This is a topic that stems from the research projects that I initiated at the beginning of my master’s study. Primarily, I briefly talked about the significance of estrogen to the physiology and pathophysiology of the heart.  At the end of my presentation few questions that arose from my topic.

I also shared my experience and perspectives as an international student, a core element of the conference. I shed light on how studying in China has propelled me to excellence in many aspects including academic, social and shaping my future career pathways. Of note, I underscored the important role Xuzhou Medical University has played in my long academic journey towards the peak where lies the fruits of academic excellence and hard work. I have always nurtured a strong interest in science since my undergraduate level, and so far, the numerous opportunities such as this have helped to continue propagating my desire

On the second day of the conference, we were introduced to the China Higher Education Expo referred to as the Gaobo Association that is headed by the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China. Here, we listened to speeches from top officials from the government who welcomed all students to witness much success in technology and state-of-the-art discoveries. Overall the event was thought-provoking and exposed us to the massive achievements brought about higher education research.

by Jeremiah Machuki