As summer reaches its peak, the inaugural SMART International Summer School is about to begin.

This year, the programme received more than 400 applications from 46 countries and regions around the world. Students from the United States, Canada, Brazil, Peru, Mexico, Russia, the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Turkey, Italy, Indonesia, and many other countries will join participants from leading universities across China in Shenzhen to explore the frontiers of life sciences together.

What brings them here?

Some want to witness firsthand how world-class scientific discoveries are made. Others hope to make the leap from "knowing what" to "knowing why." Still others believe that "Borders are no barrier to scientific progress."

Different cultures. Different academic backgrounds. Yet they are united by the same motivation—a deep curiosity about the unknown.

Over the next four weeks, they will embark on an unforgettable journey at the Shenzhen Medical Academy of Research and Translation (SMART) and Shenzhen Bay Laboratory (SZBL). They will join research groups across diverse disciplines, conduct hands-on research on world-class scientific platforms, engage with leading scientists, and broaden their perspectives through collaboration.

"I want to see how world-class science actually happens."

Grace Victoria Poo

Grace Victoria Poo from Indonesia has long been fascinated by neuroscience and ion channel research, while also closely following Shenzhen's rapid development.

"What drives me to apply for the SMART International Summer School is a genuine curiosity to see how world-class scientific discoveries actually happen."

To Grace, Shenzhen—often referred to as China's Silicon Valley—represents far more than technological innovation. It embodies a research culture that constantly pushes boundaries and embraces the unknown. She hopes the programme will strengthen both her scientific skills and her personal growth in an international research environment.

Different Countries, Different Disciplines, One Shared Curiosity

If there is one word that connects this diverse group of students, it is curiosity.

Lucía Fernández Villameriel

Lucía Fernández Villameriel from Spain hopes to learn advanced experimental techniques and computational approaches while gaining a deeper understanding of “how fundamental research is translated into clinical applications”. She is equally excited about collaborating with researchers from different countries and scientific disciplines.

Jensen Li

Jensen Li, who is currently studying in the United Kingdom, is particularly interested in the future of artificial intelligence in biomedical research.

"I am especially excited to explore how agentic AI can support biomedical research without becoming a black box: can it formulate questions, organise evidence, design reproducible analyses, and learn from experimental feedback?"

Long Wen

Long Wen, a clinical medicine student from Fudan University, hopes to take advantage of the uninterrupted research experience offered by the Summer School to develop a more systematic scientific mindset and make the transition from "knowing what" to "knowing why." As a future clinician, she believes this means not only mastering experimental techniques, but also understanding the scientific reasoning behind them and building a bridge between basic research and clinical medicine.

Emanuele Di Berardino

Emanuele Di Berardino from Italy, who will join the Institute of Chemical Biology, hopes to better understand complex biological systems through computational biology and molecular simulation. In his view, SMART offers a unique opportunity to work in an international and highly interdisciplinary research environment, where researchers from diverse backgrounds come together to explore the frontiers of life science.

Exploring the Frontiers of Life Sciences

Neuroscience, pathogen evolution, cancer immunotherapy, cardiac repair and regeneration, AI-assisted medicine, biomedical imaging, tissue engineering, genomics…

Students arriving at SMART bring with them not only diverse academic backgrounds, but also a shared passion for tackling some of the most important questions in modern biomedicine.

Alondra Yazmin Torres Medina

For Alondra Yazmin Torres Medina, a medical student from Mexico, that passion began during a clinical rotation in cardiology. The experience inspired her to pursue research in cardiac regeneration, with the hope of helping patients recover healthier hearts and better lives.

"Those experiences made me realize that treating disease is only part of the challenge; helping the heart recover remains one of the greatest unmet needs in medicine."

Shu Yue

Shu Yue, a preventive medicine student from Sun Yat-sen University, looks forward to working alongside computational biologists, immunologists and virologists. She hopes to learn how computational biology can be used to predict viral evolution and contribute to the development of future vaccines.

"This is the ultimate prevention—preparing defenses before a threat emerges."

Science Knows No Borders

If a passion for science has brought these students to Shenzhen, international collaboration is what they look forward to most.

For many international participants, SMART is not only a research institution, but also a gateway to discovering China, experiencing Shenzhen, and connecting with the global scientific community.

Anton Mitin

Anton Mitin from Russia, who will join the Institute of Human Immunology, believes that:

"The best ideas emerge when people bring different perspectives to the table."

Buse Lal Polat

Buse Lal Polat from Turkey shares a similar view.

"Shenzhen is a city that seems to be almost built around science."

She believes working alongside researchers from different countries will provide fresh perspectives and inspire new ways of thinking.

Zaida Sofia Pinco Quispe

For Zaida Sofia Pinco Quispe from Peru, this journey to Shenzhen marks the beginning of her scientific dream. It is her first time travelling abroad—and her first visit to China.

She believes that:

"Borders are no barrier to scientific progress."

Meeting the Future at SMART

Over the coming four weeks, these young researchers will explore the frontiers of life science together, build friendships across cultures, and broaden their horizons through scientific collaboration.

Different languages. Different cultures. Different academic backgrounds.

They have all come together because they share the same dream: advancing science.

As one participant put it:

"The best ideas emerge when people bring different perspectives to the table."

That is exactly what the SMART International Summer School aims to create—a platform where young scientists from around the world meet in Shenzhen, where ideas flourish through exchange, and where science moves forward through collaboration.