As part of Gov. Dave Heineman’s current trade mission to China, UNMC and Tongji University on Friday will finalize an agreement to create one of the most extensive partnerships ever between U.S. and Chinese academic institutions.
The agreement – called the Shanghai-U.S. Health Science Initiative (SSUHSI) – is a collaborative health science partnership that involves educational, clinical and research components.
Multi-disciplinary benefits
The landmark agreement will involve medicine, physical therapy/rehabilitation, nursing, dentistry, public health and pharmacy. It will provide a myriad of new opportunities for students and faculty.
Key elements of the initiative include:
- Development of a family medicine training program tailored to the needs of China and enhancing family medicine collaboration between the U.S. and China;
- Development of a Research Collaborative Center that will focus primarily on research dealing with stem cells, nanomedicine, neuroscience and oncology;
- Hospital administration training through UNMC’s hospital partner, The Nebraska Medical Center;
- Up to 10 Chinese students annually will come to UNMC to seek doctoral degrees in medicine, physical therapy, pharmacy, nursing, dentistry and public health (or a master’s degree in public health) or do their medical residency training. These students will be financially supported by the China Scholarship Council (CSC);
- Health science students from UNMC would be offered the opportunity to be trained in China with educational experiences and clinical rotations coordinated through the initiative; and
- Development of a collaborative training program for American and Chinese students enrolled in Tongji Medical School. UNMC faculty members will help with the curriculum development and integration. Medical students would receive clinical training in the six affiliate hospitals of Tongji University.
Key players
UNMC Chancellor Harold M. Maurer, M.D., and Gang Pei, Ph.D., president of Tongji University, were the chief architects of the partnership.
“UNMC is our No. 1 collaborator. It is like family,” said Dr. Pei, who received an honorary doctorate degree from UNMC in May.
Rising status
The partnership elevates UNMC’s stature in China, Dr. Maurer said.
“This initiative is a transforming event that puts UNMC in an elite class among U.S. universities with a strong presence in China,” he said.