The Ministry of Education Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology (FSCPO), the Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) of the University of Macau (UM) and the Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research of Tongji University co-hosted an academic symposium on Monday, bringing together top scientists and scholars from the two cities to explore breakthroughs in stem cell research, ageing, and tumorigenesis*, according to a UM statement on Monday.
The one-day symposium was held on the UM campus in Hengqin.
The symposium aimed to promote the integration of basic research and clinical translation, striving to advance the goals of the Healthy China 2030 initiative, the statement said.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Xu Xuejun, vice president of Shanghai-based Tongji University, highlighted the complementary strengths of the two centres – Tongji’s breakthroughs in cell fate regulation and ageing research, and UM’s progress in cancer prevention and personalised treatment, the statement noted, adding that the collaboration “represents an important move in response to the national health strategy.”
Meanwhile, academician Gao Shaorong of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and Deng Chuxia, dean of UM’s Faculty of Health Sciences, introduced the research layouts and talent development of their respective centres, noting that the symposium marked the second academic exchange between the two this year, according to the statement, which pointed out that Gao emphasised that combining stem cell fate regulation** and precision oncology “will become a powerful driving force for transformative development in life sciences.”
Oncology is the branch of medicine that specialises in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer.
With four thematic sessions and presentations from 20 scholars, the statement underlined that the symposium aimed to deepen scientific collaboration between both public universities, setting the stage for continued interdisciplinary research that bridges innovation and clinical application in pursuit of a healthier future.
*Tumorigenesis, also called oncogenesis or carcinogenesis, is the process by which normal cells transform into cancer cells and form a tumour. – DeepSeek
** Stem cell fate regulation is the control of what a stem cell will become and when it will become it. It determines whether a stem cell will self-renew, i.e., make a copy of itself, or differentiate, i.e., specialise into a specific cell type, like a nerve, skin, or muscle cell. – DeepSeek
Tongji University is a public university affiliated with the Ministry of Education. It was stablished in 1907 by German physicians in Shanghai. “Tongji” means “Sailing together through mutual aid” or “Crossing the river together in the same boat”, according to DeepSeek.
This handout photo provided by the University of Macau (UM) on Monday shows academician Gao Shaorong of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) delivering his speech during Monday’s on-campus academic symposium at the public university.
