Source: Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center
Written by: Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center
Edited by: Wang Dongmei

On March 16, 2016, Annie Young, Professor of Nursing from the University of Warwick (UoW), UK visited Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center (SYSUCC), exchanging ideas with experts from SYSUCC regarding collaboration opportunities in nurse training and exchange between the two institutions. Prof. Chao-Nan Qian, Vice-president of SYSUCC, Ms. Huiying Qin, Director of the Nursing Department, Prof. Li Zhang, Deputy Director of Medical Oncology, Ms. Benyan Zou, Ms. Zhihuan Zhou, Ms. Yalan Wang, Ms. Simei Shi, Ms. Yushan Liu, Ms. Wei Huang, Ms. Yu Liu and Ms. Shuang Liao from SYSUCC also attended the collaboration meeting.

On behalf of SYSUCC, Prof. Qian expressed a warm welcome to Prof. Young, as well as a sincere hope for SYSUCC and UoW to initiate the nurse training and exchange program, further consolidating collaboration relationship between the two institutions which will in turn, benefit both China and the UK in the fight against cancer.

“Since the MoU signing between SYSUCC and UoW, the two institutions have kept a close relationship in communication and exchange in order to push the collaboration projects forward, including the nurse training program. After long term effort of UoW experts, a training program is finally available now for the nurses from SYSUCC and waiting to be confirmed by both sides concerning the details”, said Prof. Annie Young.

As planned by SYSUCC, 2-3 nurses will be sent to the University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire this year for training up to 6 months. During the meeting, experts from SYSUCC also expressed to Prof. Young many suggestions, including further collaborations in nurse training concerning phase I clinical trial, PICC (peripherally inserted central catheter) and psychological care for cancer patients, all of which were fully supported by Prof. Young.

A hospital tour was arranged for Prof. Young after the collaboration meeting, visiting the Medical Oncology Department, Phase I Unit, etc.

During Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to the UK, SYSUCC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the UK’s University of Warwick on 21 Oct, 2015, creating a partnership in cancer diagnosis, care and research. In 2015, Dr. Jietian Jin, a young digital pathologist from the Department of Pathology at SYSUCC, spent two months at the University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire as part of a training program organized by Warwick. Besides, in the same year, a collaborating research project in anti-cancer drugs development for Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma was carried out, between Prof. Musheng Zeng’s group in SYSUCC and Prof. Peter J. Sadler’s group in Warwick. Dr. Isolda Romero Canelon and Mr. George Hughes, both from Prof. Sadler’s group in Warwick, came to SYSUCC to work together on this project with their partners.