On July 24, Li Zhihong, Vice President of Central South University, led a delegation from Xiangya School of Medicine and the Hospital Management Office to Chongqing to meet with alumni and conduct exchange activities at Southwest Hospital of Army Medical University and Chongqing Medical University.

In early 1945, Xiangya’s faculty and students began arriving in Chongqing. Thanks to significant support, particularly from Chongqing Central Hospital (now Southwest Hospital), Xiangya School of Medicine was able to resume its medical education in early March, with clinical teaching for senior students proceeding smoothly. At Southwest Hospital, Li Zhihong and his team watched a documentary on the hospital’s development with its leaders, reminiscing about the deep bonds formed during Xiangya’s migration. They also toured the Burn Department, founded in 1958 by Professor Li Ao, a pioneer in burn surgery and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. Professor Li Ao, who studied at Xiangya from 1937 to 1939, established one of China’s earliest burn treatment centers, famously endorsed by Jiang Zemin with the inscription “Model Burn Department”.

At Chongqing Medical University’s Yuanjiagang Campus, Li Zhihong and his team met with Xiangya alumni in Chongqing for a discussion. The meeting was attended by Chongqing Medical University’s Vice President and advisor of the Central South University Chongqing Alumni Association, alumnus Yu Huarong; Executive President and Secretary-General of the Chongqing Alumni Association, alumnus Zhang Chun; and other alumni working in various hospitals and enterprises in Chongqing. The discussion was chaired by Xiangya School of Medicine’s Party Secretary, Chang Shi. Li Zhihong shared the historical connections between Xiangya and Chongqing Medical University and the latest developments in Xiangya medicine. He emphasized that 2024 marks the 110th anniversary of Xiangya Medical Education at Central South University and invited the alumni to revisit their alma mater, promising a warm welcome and continuous support for their careers. The alumni expressed joy at the recent advancements of their alma mater, noting that the spirit and knowledge gained from Xiangya continue to benefit their professional lives. Before the meeting, Li Zhihong and his team toured Chongqing Medical University’s library and the new Targeted and Chemical Interventions Innovative Research Center.

(First Review: Li Ruijun; Second Review: Zhou Zhijun; Third Review: Chang Shi)