Source: Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center
Written by: Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center
Proofread by: Wang Jiawei
Edited by: Wang Dongmei

The signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding between Moorfields Eye Hospital and Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center (ZOC) of Sun Yat-sen University was held in ZOC on November 6, 2015. Mr. Andrew Massey, Deputy Consul-General of the UK of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Guangzhou, Miss Tracy Peng from UK Trade & Investment, Dr. Chris Canning, Director for International Development of Moorfields Eye Hospital, Mr. Xinbo Liao, Deputy Director of of Department of Health of Guangdong Province, Mr. Jiangxuan Ouyang, Vice Counsel of Foreign Affairs Office of People’s Government of Guangdong Province, Prof. Yizhi Liu, Director of ZOC, Prof. Junwen Zeng, Deputy Director of ZOC, and ZOC staff attended the ceremony.

At the signing ceremony, Mr. Andrew Massey attached great importance to the cooperation between Moorfields and ZOC, and hoped that this event would promote the China-UK partnership in the field of high-end medical care.

Dr. Chris Canning said that ZOC is an outstanding eye hospital, and when its Zhujiang New Town Division is completed, the two sides will have more opportunities of cooperation. Moorfields is willing to advance the friendly cooperation between the two sides and integrate the medical resources at a deeper level.

Mr. Xinbo Liao pointed out in his speech that the signing of the MOU is a successful case of implementing the Sino-British cooperation in medical fields. The collaborations between these two best eye hospitals from UK and China will further deepen the ties between the ophthalmic field in China and the world, and promote international cooperation and exchange in medical and health care.

Prof. Yizhi Liu said that Moorfields is the leading provider of eye health services and a world class centre of excellence for ophthalmic care, research and education in Europe. ZOC is the number one and the largest eye care provider and the best ophthalmic research center in China. By partnership with Moorfields, ZOC is committed to building on internationalization by setting up world recognized academic standards and qualification.

Afterwards, Dr. Chris Canning and Prof. Yizhi Liu signed the MOU on behalf of Moorfieds and ZOC respectively. The cooperation projects will include the jointly established education qualification, the development of clinical research and translational research centre, the Moorfields/ZOC training and skills centre in mainland China.

Founded in 1805, Moorfields Eye Hospital is the oldest centre for ophthalmic treatment in Europe. It is a world-class centre of excellence in eye research with access to a sizeable and diverse patient population. It is also a major centre for the training of ophthalmologists, optometrists, and nurses.