In August, one of the most extensive partnerships ever between the United States and Chinese academic institutions was finalized between UNMC and Tongji University.
The agreement — called the Shanghai-U.S. Health Science Initiative — is a collaborative health science partnership that involves educational, clinical and research components.
It was signed during Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman’s trade mission.
“The partnership will pay tremendous dividends for generations to come,” said Gov. Heineman after a tour of Tongji University. The partnership elevates UNMC’s stature in China, said UNMC Chancellor Harold M. Maurer, M.D. “This puts UNMC in an elite class among U.S. universities with a strong presence in China.”
The agreement will involve six different disciplines — medicine, physical therapy/ rehabilitation, nursing, dentistry, public health and pharmacy — and will provide new opportunities for students and faculty.
Key elements of the initiative include:
- Development of a Research Collaborative Center that will focus primarily on research dealing with stem cells, nanomedicine, neuroscience and oncology;
- Development of a family medicine training program tailored to the needs of China;
- 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. Students will be financially supported by the China Scholarship Council;
- Health science students from UNMC will have 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.
This fall, two Chinese medical students were enrolled in UNMC’s College of Medicine, marking the first time the Chinese government has funded medical training in the U.S. for Chinese students, said Jialin Zheng, M.D., UNMC assistant vice chancellor for academic affairs and a key intermediary between the two universities.