On October 31, 2025, the School of Public Health at Nanchang University hosted the 16th Nanchang University Graduate Qianhu "Yan" Lecture - Mentor Forum (Session 195) together with the 4th Weidao Forum at the Qianhu Campus. The event was organized by the University Graduate Work Department and the Graduate Union, and co-hosted by the School of Public Health and its Graduate Union. More than 50 faculty members and students attended. The session was chaired by Jiayan Chen, and featured a keynote lecture by Dr. Qiqiang Bian, Tenured Associate Professor at the Medical University of South Carolina.

Dr. Bian delivered a lecture titled "Associations of U.S. State Laws of Pharmacy Delivery of Vaccines with Access to Flu Vaccination and Well-Child Care of Children Enrolled in Medicaid Insurance Plans" He introduced his team's use of natural experimental methods to assess the impact of U.S. policies allowing pharmacies to administer vaccines to children aged 3-18. While the policy aimed to improve vaccine access among low-income families, concerns had been raised about a potential decline in children's annual physical examination rates.

Using Medicaid data from four U.S. states between 2006 and 2015, Dr. Bian's team applied a difference-in-differences model to compare policy effects across different state legislative frameworks. The findings showed that states implementing general authorization laws and protocol-specific laws experienced an average increase of approximately 10% in influenza vaccination rates among children from low-income families, with no evidence of reduced annual physical examination rates.

Dr. Bian also outlined the conceptual framework of natural experiments and emphasized the importance of real-world data in evaluating public health policies. He highlighted the role of rigorous, evidence-based research in informing health policy decisions.

During the Q&A session, faculty members and students engaged actively in discussion. Dr. Bian addressed questions on research design and empirical analysis, further clarifying methodological approaches and policy evaluation strategies.

The forum offered participants valuable exposure to real-world data applications in public health policy research and broadened perspectives on international health systems. The School will continue to host the Weidao Forum and related graduate academic events, inviting leading scholars to promote academic exchange and support the development of globally oriented public health professionals.