The FDU Flagship Graduate International Summer School of Life Sciences 2026

| Jun 18, 2026

Building on its distinguished legacy of hosting world-class summer programs, Fudan University will launch an International Summer School of Life Sciences in 2026. This premier academic initiative is designed to bring together outstanding graduate and undergraduate students, as well as postdoctoral researchers, from around the globe for an immersive and intellectually stimulating experience.

Through fostering cross-cultural academic exchange and collaboration, the program aims to cultivate a vibrant scholarly community united by a shared passion for pushing the boundaries of life sciences. Participants will have the unique opportunity to engage with cutting-edge research, interdisciplinary coursework, and hands-on scientific exploration, all within the inspiring setting of Fudan's picturesque campus.

01 International Summer School Introduction

As we embrace the dawn of the 21st century, the significance of life sciences has never been more pronounced. The new era has seen constant progress in life sciences, and its relevance has been increasingly emphasized as the engine of economic and social progress.

This year's Summer School, themed "AI-Driven Innovation in Life Sciences", focuses on core disciplines such as genetics, oncology, RNA biology, and immunology, while integrating cutting-edge advancements in AI and big data. The international program features two specialized course modules: Genetics & Developmental Biology, and Evolutionary& Computational Biology.

The international summer school will be held at the picturesque Jiangwan campus of Fudan University from July 27 to August 10. It is hosted by Fudan University, organized by the School of Life Sciences,，State Key Laboratory of Genetics and Development of Complex Phenotypes and National Advanced Talent Student Training Center in Biology. It will provide a world-class learning environment for outstanding students , with a focus on globalization, new frontiers, and interdisciplinary integration and collaboration. Over 20 internationally renowned scholars—leaders in their fields with extensive teaching experience—have been invited to teach. The summer school will select and invite 120 outstanding students from applicants worldwide. The course will be taught in English, covering the most up-to-date and popular topics in each field. There will be oral and poster presentations and networking during the course and top students will be awarded.

In addition, participants will have the opportunity to foster academic connections and deepen their understanding of the cultural landscape through the summer school's city tours, cultural excursions, and a variety of extracurricular activities, such as visits to high-tech biological enterprises, the Shanghai Natural History Museum, the iconic Nanjing Road Walkway, the Bund, the enchanting ancient town of Qibao and other exciting destinations.

We hope you will join us at the Fudan International Summer School of Life Sciences this year. Spend your summer here at the cutting edge of life science, learning from world-renowned researchers and making academic friends who will be lifelong mentors and collaborators.

02 Introduction to International Summer School Curriculum

Course Module 1: Genetics and Developmental Biology

This module brings together leading international and domestic scholars in the fields of genetics and developmental biology. The distinguished international faculty includes: Jerry L. Workman, an Academician renowned for elucidating the critical role of histones in gene expression regulation; Don W. Cleveland, an Academician and expert in oncology and neurobiology; Tak Wah Mak, an Academician and leading authority in immunology and oncology; Philip A. Beachy, an Academician and prominent developmental biologist; Liqun Luo, the author of the renowned neurobiology textbook Principles of Neurobiology; Jin Billy Li, a distinguished biologist in immunology and RNA editing; and Katrin I. Andreasson, a leading expert in neurodegenerative disease research.

The module also features eminent Chinese scholars who will deliver lectures on core topics such as the genetic and signaling regulation of development. This domestic faculty comprises: Prof. Qiang Liu (University of Science and Technology of China), exploring neural development and synaptic plasticity; Prof. Xiaoguang Lei (Peking University), utilizing chemical biology to investigate developmental signal transduction; Academician Kang Zhang (Wenzhou Medical University), focusing on genetic defects in visual development and gene therapy; Prof. Feng Zhang (Sun Yat-sen University), studying lymphatic vessel development; Prof. Ming Xu (Peking University), researching the genetic program of heart development; Prof. Jing Qu (Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences), working on the genetics of stem cell aging and tissue development.

The curriculum focuses on: gene expression regulation, the structure and function of RNA, translational control, signal transduction, the molecular mechanisms of cancer, and neurobiology. Instruction is tailored to the specialized expertise of the faculty, covering several important frontiers in both genetics and developmental biology.

Course Module 2: Evolutionary and Computational Biology

This module focuses on evolutionary biology and computational biology in the era of big data and artificial intelligence, integrating theoretical frameworks with cutting-edge genomic and analytical approaches. The course covers key topics including molecular evolution, human population history, genomic variation, regulatory and epigenomic evolution, as well as bioinformatics and AI-driven data analysis. It brings together a distinguished group of internationally leading scholars, including Jianzhi Zhang (University of Michigan), Xuegong Zhang (Tsinghua University), Guojie Zhang (Zhejiang University), Ting Wang (Washington University in St. Louis), Guillaume Bourque (McGill University), Mark Stoneking (Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology), Jian Yang (Westlake University), Chung-I Wu (Sun Yat-sen University), Zhiwei Cao (Fudan University), and Kai Ye (Xi’an Jiaotong University), Li Jin and Xu Shuhua (Fudan University). Through a combination of lectures, student presentations, and interactive discussions, the module aims to provide participants with direct exposure to frontier research, foster critical thinking, and equip them with advanced computational and analytical skills for modern biological research.

In summary, the courses system has been well designed, and it also been extremely precious opportunities for students. The summer school invites world-class distinguished scholars to give lectures, introducing the cutting-edge progress of the discipline. Through learning and discussion, students can experience the research ideas and important discoveries of world-class scholars up close, experience the master's style on site, and understand the extraordinary process of important scientific exploration. It guides students to learn how to condense scientific problems, understand and master the research methods of biological science, stimulate their research interest, inspire research wisdom, and lay the foundation for their future academic career.

03 Registration link of International Summer School

1.Qualifications: Applicants must be outstanding graduate, undergraduate students or postdoctoral fellows in life sciences-related field from all over the world.

2.Tuitions & Fees: The summer school is free of tuition and includes complimentary meals for all school activities. However, transport and accommodation expenses are not covered.

Scholarship: The summer school programme will select approximately 20 outstanding participants through Students' seminar held during each module and award them scholarships.

3.How to apply: Overseas applicants（non-Chinese nationality） please sign up and log in to https://istudent.fudan.edu.cn/apply

There are two ways to find our programs:

First, click on " Personal Application", then click on "Senior Advanced Student", and search " The FDU Flagship Graduate International Summer School of Life Sciences 2026". Please fill out the online registration form and upload required materials .

The other way is to enter '390651' in quick channel. The application deadline is June 25, and the results will be announced on June 30.

Applicants have the flexibility to choose from the following course modules: Genetics and Developmental biology (July 27-July 4) or Evolutionary and Computational Biology (August 5-August 10), or both modules (July 27-August 10). After applicants are admitted, we will send an email to inquire about their module preferences and accommodation needs. Fudan University will issue Certificate of study for students who have completed the selected courses study.

Chinese nationals should apply via http://register.fudan.edu.cn/.

4.Contact Information:

Mrs. Dai

Phone: +86-21-31246510,

E-mail: yqdai@fudan.edu.cn

5.Summer school official website:https://fiss-lifesci.fudan.edu.cn/

04 Appendix

• Appendix 1: International Summer School Course Schedule

Module 1：Genetics and Developmental Biology