Guoliang Chen - CH

What made you decide to apply for a grant at the Leading House Asia?
Prof. Dr. Stoddart: Over many years we have been building strong collaborations with China. There is significant experience in the region and we can both learn from each other. There are limited funding mechanisms that allow for such international collaboration, so the ability to have exchange students funded is a massive advantage. We have previously had members of this laboratory visit us in Switzerland and this is a great way to continue the tradition.

How did you secure a host professor?
Guoliang: Many colleagues of our research teams in China were medical fellows or visiting students of the AO Research Institute Davos. Our team has been collaborating with the AO Research Institute Davos for a long time. With the help of my colleagues, I contacted Professor Stoddart who formulated my research plan and then we applied for the project funding from the Young Researchers’ Exchange Programme.

How would you describe your experience of the programme?
Guoliang: I received the funding in June 2019, so I originally planned to study in Switzerland from March 2020. At the end of 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic outbroke in China. This led to my travel plans being postponed many times. I even thought I might not have the opportunity to start my study during the grant period. Fortunately, with the help of Professor Stoddart and the staff of the China Scholarship Council, I finally started my research in November 2020. There have been many twists and turns, but when I came to AO, I met many friendly people. The COVID-19 pandemic is not over yet, but we are still doing scientific research under various restrictions. I believe it will still be an unforgettable experience when I look back on it many years later.

What role did the Leading House Asia play in the programme?
The Leading House Asia ETH Zurich has been extremely helpful. The application and review processes were easy to navigate. Despite the complications and delays caused by COVID-19, there was space for changes and flexibility.

What were the impacts you made through the project/partners/individual?
Guoliang: the AO is a sacred site for many orthopedists. When I started studying orthopedics, I was influenced a lot by the concepts developed by the AO in Switzerland. Thanks to the available project funding, I came to the AO Research Institute Davos for a 12-month exchange study. In addition to my own research, I also came into contact with a lot of novel scientific ideas about various fields in orthopedics, and got to know orthopedists and researchers from all over the world. Through this opportunity, I believe I can improve my scientific research ability. When I return to China, I hope to apply what I have learned to clinical practice and scientific research. I also hope to maintain cooperation with the AO Research Institute Davos in the future and engage in meaningful research.

Testimonial: what were your personal experiences/thoughts on the bilateral cooperation experience?
Guoliang: The experience of working at the AO Research Institute Davos is very different from my previous experience. There is a strong focus on the quality of the research work. In order to ensure the accuracy and scientific validity of the results, even experienced researchers must undergo formal training before they can conduct experiments on their own. It is required to carry out the research in a planned way. Supervisors will analyse the experimental results carefully with the students. The atmosphere is very harmonious and friendly. There is no hierarchy between teachers and students, everyone adds their personal input.
During the experiment, students are encouraged to think and ask questions. We always discuss problems together to solve them.