On 3rd April, 2015, the appointment ceremony for Professor Nicholas Lemoine as Dean of the Academy of Medical Sciences of Zhengzhou University (AMS) was held in No. 2 Lecture Hall of the New Campus. Over 200 people participated in the ceremony, including Mr. Ma Shimin, associate head of the Henan Department of Science and Technology, Mr. Huang Wei, vice chair of the Henan Family Planning Commission, President Liu Jiongtian, Professor Xing Ying, vice chair of University Affairs Committee, vice president Chang Junbiao, vice president Zhang Qianhong, vice president Gu Zhenqing, representatives of administrative departments, medical schools, scientific research institutes, affiliated hospitals, teachers and students of Zhengzhou university. Professor Xing Ying hosted the ceremony.
During the ceremony, President Liu Jiongtian handed over the Letter of Appointment officially to Professor Nicholas Lemoine.
President Liu Jiongtian delivered a speech to welcome Professor Nicholas Lemoine to be an official member of Zhengzhou University on behalf of the authority and 70,000 faculty and students. He said that Professor Nicholas Lemoine has a long term friendship with Zhengzhou University and contributes greatly to the development of medical education of Zhengzhou University. Currently, Zhengzhou University has established its principal line of development as ‘One Province , One Key University’, reinforcing collaborative innovation, speeding up the process of translational development and infrastructure construction, improving the quality of education in all aspects and school-running standard. We are aiming to make Zhengzhou University a top standard research university of great influence and a beacon for the recruitment of talented academics, a strong scientific research base as well as exchange and cooperation center, and build it into a leading ‘211 Project’ key university. To achieve our goal, we need to rely on discipline construction and scientific research in which AMS plays an important role.
President Liu Jiongtian pointed out that the establishment of AMS is to serve the purpose of constructing top disciplines of national level, lifting the innovative capability and level of medical sciences, as well as promoting the internationalization of medical research. AMS is above the structure of schools and departments integrating development of new scientific disciplines, cutting-edge scientific research and recruitment of high-level talent from across the world. The key tasks of AMS are focusing on forming strong and high-level research teams, constructing medical science and technological platforms, and identifying facilities for delivery of high quality research. Only with such platforms, can cutting-edge scientific research and recruitment of top talent be achieved. Professor Nicholas Lemoine is a world-renowned expert in scientific research and institute management with a long-lasting friendship with Zhengzhou University. Under his leadership, the modern medical and scientific research innovation system can be established to enhance collaborative innovation and the quality of high-level talent training of Zhengzhou University so that AMS can be built into a top-flight medical institution. With Professor Nicholas Lemoine’s guidance, the medical education of Zhengzhou University will go through reform and adjustment of the management model, structure, system and resources allocation. Meanwhile, Zhengzhou University will provide all support for Professor Nicholas Lemoine in policy, funding and resource allocation as well as ensuring good working and living conditions.
President Liu Jiongtian required all medical schools, administrative departments and affiliated hospitals to cooperate fully with AMS and define their position and future development. We should persevere in collaborative innovation, reinforce the bond between industry, education and research, and enhance the construction of the social service system to make more scientific achievements translated and applied in practice. We should attach great emphasis on talent recruitment and training and invest more by taking the opportunity of the 5+3 model in education reform. Also, we should strengthen education management and deepen education and teaching reform consistently in order to promote the training of high-level talents in clinical medicine. The construction of professional courses should be the core in the whole process through following standards and procedures, faculty development, creating educational environment and improving teaching conditions. We should persist in promoting scientific research capability so that talented individuals can deliver innovation which will eventually improve the quality of talent training.
Later, Professor Nicholas Lemoine gave a lecture to the audience. He started with his own medical research and achievements and showed confidence as well as competence in making AMS a high-level research institute of great influence. He shared four reasons for him to be working for Zhengzhou University. First, Zhengzhou University is located in Henan Province which has a large population and a great number of cancer patients which can make solid foundation for research. Second, there are nine hospitals affiliated to Zhengzhou University with the 1st Affiliated Hospital as the world’s biggest hospital. Third, Zhengzhou University is the only ‘211 Project’ key university in Henan Province which is entitled to great support from local and central government. Fourth, President Liu Jiongtian has such a strong belief in supporting future developments for medical research. Professor Nicholas Lemoine said that during the coming year, he will pay visits to all medical schools, research institute and affiliated hospitals with representatives from the Executive Council and Scientific Advisory Board. He will select and recruit outstanding talents in medicine and research in order to make AMS a world-class research platform.
After the appointment, Professor Nicholas Lemoine will lead and plan the overall development of AMS aiming to build AMS into a high-level and internationalized research institute of great influence nationwide. AMS will bring in advanced concepts in management from abroad, consider the current condition of China and Zhengzhou University, construct high-level laboratories, establish tumor treatment and prevention as the leading disciplines so that it can be built into a top medical research institute with great influence in China. It will endeavor in establishing collaboration with scientific research institutes both in China and abroad, introducing high-end talents to form a competitive and influential research center in China. Additionally, AMS will carry out research on personalized treatment and molecular oncology, recruit PhD students, train young scientists and hold lectures and seminars for younger teachers and postgraduate students.
Before the appointment ceremony, the first Administration Council meeting of AMS was held in the 1st meeting room. President Liu Jiongtian presided over the meeting and decisions were made on members of the first council under the relevant guidelines. President Liu Jiongtian is appointed as the Chair of the Council, with Mr. Ma Shimin, Associate Head of Henan Science and Technology Department, Mr Huang Wei, Associate Head of Henan Family Planning Commission, Professor Xing Ying, Vice Chair of University Affairs Committee, Vice President Liu Zongmin, Vice President Kan Quancheng, Vice President Gu Zhenqing as vice-chairs, and directors of the administrative departments, medical schools, affiliated hospitals as well as relevant experts are appointed members. President Liu Jiongtian gave an introduction on the key responsibilities of the council and stressed that the council is responsible for management, resource expansion and decision-making. The AMS will be run under the leadership of the Dean as the academic leader and project leader. All members of the Administration Council unanimously voted to pass the appointment of Professor Nicholas Lemoine as the dean of AMS. With the witness of all members, President Liu Jiongtian and Professor Nicholas Lemoine signed the contract of appointment.
Professor Nicholas Robert Lemoine is a world-renowned expert in molecular oncology, gene therapy and translational medicine, Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the UK, National Medical Director of the UK NIHR Clinical Research Network, Director of Barts Cancer Institute and Cancer Research UK Centre, Editor in Chief, Gene Therapy (Nature Specialist Journals).
Professor Lemoine was first appointed as guest professor of Zhengzhou University in October, 2005. In 2006, he successfully promoted the collaboration between Zhengzhou University and Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) and appointed as the director of the first Sino-British Research Centre for molecular oncology at Zhengzhou University. In 2009, the Henan Provincial Government awarded Professor Nicholas Lemoine ‘Yellow River Friendship’ for his extraordinary contribution to the medical research in Henan.
