The campus of Zhejiang University's 'Belt and Road' International School of Medicine opens in Yiwu, Zhejiang province on Oct 10. [Photo/Zhejiang Daily]

Zhejiang University officially opened its "Belt and Road" International School of Medicine campus in Yiwu, Zhejiang province on Oct 10.

The inauguration coincided with the commencement ceremony for the incoming class of 2023.

The new academic year welcomes a total of 249 students, comprising 92 undergraduates pursuing clinical medicine from 25 different countries, 112 master's students, and 45 doctoral students.

In the coming years, the school aspires to grow its student body to 5,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students and assemble a faculty of over 600 high-caliber educators.

The school's curriculum will encompass fundamental medical sciences and clinical medicine, fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration with humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, engineering, information technology, and more.

The school is a product of the collaboration between Zhejiang University and the Yiwu municipal government. The partnership began in 2019 with the signing of a joint development agreement. Construction of the school commenced in 2020.

After three years of preparation and construction, the opening of the new campus inauguration coincides with the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Zhejiang University and Yiwu have a longstanding partnership that dates back to 2009 when they signed a comprehensive strategic cooperation agreement. The formal opening of the International Medical School marks the expansion of the university's involvement in clinical practice, research, and teaching through this comprehensive cooperation.