Under the “2023 Tongji Summer School” program, Prof. Gil Mor from Wayne State University in the United States was invited to give lectures on "The Biology of Human Reproduction" by the Institute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, HUST. This highly anticipated course got a resounding success, with enthusiastic participation from all faculties and students. The course attracted more than 50 teachers and students to participate offline, including more than 20 international students from Iran, Tanzania, India and other countries. In addition, more than 30 students engaged in online learning at the same time.

At 9 a.m. on July 31, the international course titled "The Biology of Human Reproduction" officially started in Tongji Medical College. Prof. Liao Aihua, Dean of the Institute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College extended a warm welcome to Prof. Gil Mor upon his arrival and introduced Prof. Gil Mor’s academic background and the profound friendship he had established with HUST over the past 8 years. Prof. Gil Mor expressed that he was very happy to meet so many students face to face.

In this summer course, Prof. Gil Mor explained the biological meaning of "reproduction", "sex", and "reproductive life cycle" in an in-depth manner following a heuristic teaching approach. He skillfully integrated the process of medical development in class, pointing out that the brain is the supreme commander of the hypothalamus and pituitary gland, and the core of the endocrine network. He then introduced the characteristics of different reproductive organs of men and women to the students in detail, and emphasized the diverse meanings of gender in both biological and social contexts.

During the lecture, Prof. Gil Mor learned that there were international students from Tanzania in the audience, so he mentioned his experience of climbing Kilimanjaro in Tanzania in February this year. Prof. Gil Mor displayed photos taken during his trip to Tanzania and told the students the story of his five-day trek up Kilimanjaro, which is about 6,000 meters above sea level. And then, he explained to students that scientific research is similar to climbing a mountain. Climbing a mountain requires the climber to work hard during the day and rest in the valley at night, and scientific research also requires us to have a balance between work and rest. Oxygen deprivation can be a huge hindrance during the climb, but the joy of reaching the summit and witnessing the sunrise is just as unparalleled as that of a scientific achievement. Prof. Gil Mor encouraged everyone to constantly challenge themselves in life, "If you can drive, challenge yourself riding; if you can ride, challenge yourself walking; if you can walk, challenge yourself running."

Prof. Gil Mor’s course gave students a deeper understanding of human reproductive biology and enlightened them in terms of the perception and exploration of scientific research. At the end of the course, students expressed sincere gratitude to Prof. Gil Mor and invited him to come again and give them more wonderful lectures in the future.

The Summer School course titled "The Biology of Human Reproduction" was funded by the "Double First-Class" International Cooperation Program of HUST.

Written by: Ye Zhengxin, Li Zhijing, and Wang Jin

Edited by: Chang Wen, Peng Yumeng