From August 15 to 19, 2025, the 11th National Undergraduate Medical Innovation Competition and the 2025 Belt and Road International Competition was successfully held in Jinan, Shandong Province. A team from composed of Keng Hin Wong from the Faculty of Medicine, Xielin He and Jinghui Xiong from the Faculty of Chinese Medicine of Macau University of Science and Technology (M.U.S.T.), under the guidance of Assistant Professor Io Nam Wong and PhD candidate Jing Zhong from the Faculty of Medicine, achieved remarkable success. Their project, titled “The Potential of Algal Polysaccharides as Cisplatin Chemo-Sensitizers: A Combined Therapy Strategy for Gastric Cancer,” earned the Silver Award in the Belt and Road International Track and the Best Teamwork Award amidst intense competition, bringing great honor to M.U.S.T.
Organized by the National Demonstration Center for Experimental Education in Higher Education, this competition is one of the most highest-level and most influential life science events in the field of basic medical sciences in China. The competition has been included in the directory of the National College Student Competition Analysis Report and is recognized by the Ministry of Education as a national-level medical innovation and entrepreneurship competition for university students. The event this year set new records in both scale and participation, attracting over 4,000 faculty and students from more than 200 universities across 10 countries, with more than 820 project submissions. The competition brought together more than 200 guests and expert judges at Shandong University to witness the emergence of top honors in the field.
The Medical Sciences Division (MSD) of M.U.S.T. has always placed great emphasis on cultivating students’ research literacy and practical capabilities. It continuously promotes participation in high-level competitions, encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration and original exploration. This award, focused on cutting-edge topics in basic medical sciences, highlights the research depth of the MSD and its innovative vitality in related fields. This outstanding achievement not only brings prestige to the MSD but also further unites professors and students in their commitment to scientific research, injecting new momentum into the high-quality development of basic medical education and original research in China.
Group photos of the MSD students Keng Hin Wong, Xielin He, and Jinghui Xiong at the finals in Jinan
