On August 20, 2026, Shenzhen Medical Academy of Research and Translation (SMART) held the opening ceremony for the 2026 PhD cohort at Weiguang Life Science Park. Distinguished guests from partner universities, research institutes, medical institutions, and the industrial sector, together with our faculty members and students, convened to celebrate the beginning of our new PhD candidates' academic journey. Driven by curiosity about the mysteries of life and a forward-looking perspective on the future of medicine, they have stepped forward to initiate their inquiry into the unknown and to shape their own research path.

President's Message: Shape the Future with Creation

Nieng Yan, president of SMART, opened her remarks by highlighting "the joy of entrepreneurship," reviewing the journey of SMART from its inception and its exploration of new research paradigms, while expressing sincere gratitude to all stakeholders who have long supported the Academy's development. She emphasized that PhD candidates must evolve from passive recipients of knowledge into active creators, moving beyond established scholarly frameworks and identifying frontier research questions rooted in unsolved challenges in clinical practice, industry, and the real world. She encouraged students to begin with "Initiate Inquiry", formulating questions they are genuinely curious about and pursuing each one until it is answered. She underscored the importance of interpersonal dialogue and intellectual exchange in the era of artificial intelligence, urging students to take ownership of their project and immerse themselves in exploration, measuring their achievements not by the number of papers, but by the independent capabilities they cultivate through the research process. She advised students to shift from "I have to" to "I get to" mindset, enjoy their research, and discover themselves and shape their future through continuous inquiry.

Collaborative Cultivation: Turn Inquiry into Discovery

Zheng Ouyang, Dean of Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, encouraged students to step beyond the rote pursuit of standard solutions and instead push the frontiers of knowledge. He urged them to redefine their own potential, imagine boldly, experiment fearlessly, transcend disciplinary boundaries, take the first step amid uncertainty, and explore uncharted fields. Additionally, he emphasized that they must respond to the defining challenges of our era and shape the future on their own terms through original thinking.

Jusheng Zheng, Vice Dean of the School of Future Biomedicine at Westlake University, outlined recent advances in the collaborative doctoral training program and joint research platform construction between Westlake University and SMART. He encouraged students to evolve from knowledge acquisition toward knowledge creation, sustaining their curiosity and perseverance, upholding academic integrity, and generating original achievements through continuous inquiry and repeated verification, thereby enabling their research to respond to the defining calls of our time. 

Leyao Wang, Principal Investigator at the Institute of Human Immunology of SMART, spoke as a faculty representative. She encouraged students to sustain curiosity across disciplinary boundaries, uphold rigorous standards in their experimental work, interpret findings with honesty while embracing setbacks with resilience, and trust their own scientific instincts. She noted that an extended period without an appropriate position might signal an opportunity to forge a new one, and she expressed her hope that, through sustained exploration, critical inquiry, and disciplined perseverance, they would find their own direction and define a unique research path.

Professor Ying Mao, director of Huashan Hospital affiliated to Fudan University and SMART Investigator, cited neurosurgical image fusion and brain-computer interface research as examples to underscore the importance of maintaining a clinical problem-driven research orientation, advancing interdisciplinary collaboration, and cultivating interdisciplinary innovation. He advised the new cohort to make the most of SMART as a "narrow gate" that provides access to expansive intellectual frontiers, conducting their research with patience, doing what is right, and not fearing the pace of progress. 

Strength for the Future: Empower Scientific Ideals with Trust

Peiliang Li, Chairman of TK Group (Holdings) Limited, speaking from his own experience in corporate innovation and long-term practice, advised students to venture boldly into the unknown while embracing the uncertainties and setbacks inherent in scientific research. He emphasized that donations constitute far more than financial support; they embody a profound trust in young researchers and high expectations for their future. He expressed his hope that students would anchor their research in truly important problems, bridge basic research, clinical practice, and industry, and pursue meaningful achievements through sustained commitment. 

Youth Sets Sail: Chart Your Course in the Unknown

Haitao Yang, a PhD candidate from the class of 2025, recounted his experience of laboratory rotations and scientific research. Over the course of three rotations, his perspective evolved from "what can I do" to "what am I willing to commit to for the long term." Drawing on the discipline of competitive rowing as a metaphor, he encouraged the new cohort to recalibrate their direction and take another stroke when experiments hit setbacks, to sustain their judgment and rhythm on a research journey without standard solutions, and to navigate toward the uncharted waters of their own choosing.

Jingyi Yang, a student representative of the 2026 PhD cohort, reviewed her interdisciplinary journey from marine biology to skin photobiology, and on to quantum biology and neurobiology. Faced with overturned hypotheses and uncertain paths, she chose to release self-doubt and keep moving forward. Now standing at a new starting point, she looks forward to pushing beyond her own boundaries through SMART's open, interdisciplinary platform, venturing into the unknown with her peers, and writing a new chapter in her research.

At the ceremony, SMART expressed sincere gratitude to the relevant departments of Shenzhen Municipality and Guangming District, as well as Tsinghua University, Westlake University, partner hospitals, universities, and research institutes that have long supported the Academy's development. It is the trust, commitment, and collaboration of these stakeholders that have built a solid foundation for the growth of young talents and for innovation in the life sciences.

During the pre-ceremony orientation session, students collaboratively assembled a special puzzle. Each piece is unique and irreplaceable, interlocking with others to form a complete picture, just as every young researcher will bring their own perspectives and choices to SMART and become an indispensable part of the Academy. Starting with "Initiate Inquiry," students will explore and grow together here, contributing their own wisdom and creativity to the future of life sciences and human health. The future has no predetermined shape—it is yours to define.