CHOICE AND CHANGE：

TO BME2018CLASS

A WELCOME LETTER TO BME2018CLASS

Life is full of choices; each choice can change the trajectory of our lives greatly or minimally. 

The important choice that you have just made takes you to Shantou University and to our Department of Biomedical Engineering. 

Here I would like to congratulate everyone. 

Congratulations to everyone who will become part of our first cohort of biomedical engineering students!

Human society is at an unprecedented stage of rapid development. Various technological innovations have emerged in an endless stream which has greatly changed our social structure and our way of life. You have entered the university at this time and embarked on an important part of your life voyage.

What is biomedical engineering? 

Simply put, biomedical engineering is the application of engineering principles in biomedical and medical health. Biomedical engineering experts work with doctors, therapists and researchers to develop systems and devices to solve clinical medical problems. Presently, many aspects of diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation in the field of medical health rely on advances in technology. 

Biomedical engineering not only covers nuclear magnetic resonance technology and microfluidic chip for diagnosis, kidney dialysis instrument for therapeutic purposes, robots for rehabilitation, artificial pacemakers for heart function recovery and other advanced medical equipment, but also includes information systems for managing hospitals as well as various medical data standards and communication protocols. 

There is no doubt that modern medicine is closely related to human health and disease treatment. The practice of modern medicine is fundamentally carried out on a medical engineering platform supported by various high technologies.

Choosing Shantou is to choose a small, quiet city with a rich sense of human history and culture. 

There are gentle waves in the inner bay, a calm and rugged rocky dream valley at the Queshi scenic area, elegant historical buildings in the Small Park district and interesting beef dishes, as well as the Teochew dialect which is full of the ancient rhyme. 

Choosing Shantou University is to choose the dense tropical forest and the majestic Sangpu Mountain and to choose elegant buildings with unique styles designed by the masters. 

It is also to choose the life attitude and spiritual realm that Mr Li Ka-shing advocated for: “To establish oneself and to pursue selflessness.” 

The choice of biomedical engineering is the choice of an important interdisciplinary subject that is closely related to human health. It is the choice of cultivating one’s own abilities and integrating knowledge. This choice is also a sign of careful and serious consideration of the future.

The purpose of this choice is to change. 

In 2018, the prestigious "Shantou University Medal" winner was Miss Huang from the 2014 class. Before she gave a speech at her graduation ceremony, I asked her to summarise her four years of experience at Shantou. 

She said, “One word is enough which is 'change'. I have changed from an ordinary little girl who can't be more ordinary, to a young professional who is confident and capable of meeting the challenges of my future life and my professional career!” This sentence is enough to please any senior educator because it is the fundamental purpose of education. 

STU is such a place that can positively change people. This place can even create miracles. This year, four girls rowed across the Atlantic Ocean and broke the world record. They are ordinary students, not special recruited athletic students, and could not even swim before learning to row! They changed their mindset. They experienced the process of ‘bittering their minds, working hard, being hungry, and being empty’.

They have fundamentally transformed and sublimated in terms of skills, perseverance and self-confidence. Their experiences at STU will be their spiritual wealth for their whole lives.

Once again, welcome! 

You have come to our department. I hope that in four years, you will become a more intelligent, physically stronger and more capable person. 

Remember that our hope for you is not to merely receive a degree. The process of growing up is a process of constantly challenging and surpassing oneself. In the process, we will strive to be your mentor and hope that you will be our friends. 

You do your best, boys and girls, and we shall do the rest for you and fight for victory.