Source: Office of International Cooperation & Exchange
Written by: Office of International Cooperation & Exchange
Proofread by: Lai Xin
Edited by: Wang Dongmei

On December 11-15, 2018, at the invitation of Prof. Dr. Ram Kantha Makaju Shrestha, Vice Chancellor of Kathmandu University (KU), Prof. Luo Jun, President of Sun Yat-sen University (SYSU), visited Nepal to promote SYSU’s cooperation with KU and Nepal Health Research Council. President Luo Jun attended the 24th Convocation of Kathmandu University and delivered a keynote speech. The visit achieved fruitful results.

On the morning of December 12, President Luo Jun visited KU and met with Vice Chancellor Ram Kantha Makaju Shrestha. Both sides expressed the hope to consolidate existing collaborations, learn from each other, share resources and results in cooperative research, and expand cooperation to other disciplines and fields on the basis of collaboration in global health. Afterwards, President Luo Jun delivered a keynote report titled “A First-rate University Is a Community of Academics and Responsibilities” at the Presidents and Deans’ Exchange Meeting in KU.

After the meeting, President Luo Jun and Vice Chancellor Ram Kantha Makaju Shrestha signed a MOU on cooperation on behalf of SYSU and KU respectively, and unveiled the KU-SYSU Collaborating Center for Health Development. Drawing on the experience of health care development in China, the Center will be aimed to promote the health care in Nepal through cooperation in research and education between the two universities.

On the afternoon of December 12, President Luo Jun visited Dhulikhel Hospital Kathmandu University Hospital and Dhulikhel Hospital outreach health center to learn about the local health care. KU has set up 22 outreach health centers in remote mountain areas, and relieve local difficulties of lack of doctors and medicine. During the visit, 6 students from SYSU’s School of Public Health presented reports on their internship in the outreach heath centers.

On the morning of December 13, President Luo Jun visited Nepal Health Research Council and met with Prof. Dr. Anjani Kuamr Jha, Executive Chairperson of Nepal Health Research Council. The two sides presented an introduction respectively and exchanged views on strengthening future cooperation in medical and health system in Nepal. They expressed the hope to utilize SYSU’s advantageous resources in research, teaching and clinical practice, and to use SYSU Global Health Institute as a platform to assist Nepal to enhance health care system by drawing on the experience of medical reform in China.
On the afternoon of December 13, President Luo Jun visited the Chinese Embassy in Nepal and met with Ms. Yu Hong, Chinese Ambassador to Nepal. President Luo Jun introduced SYSU and its future development plan, as well as SYSU’s present and future collaborations with Nepal. Ambassador Yu Hong expressed her support for the cooperation and exchange between SYSU and universities in Nepal. She highly praised SYSU for its efforts in the Belt and Road Initiative as well as assistance to the medical and educational development in Nepal.

On December 14, President Luo Jun was invited to attend the 24th Convocation of Kathmandu University as a guest and delivered a keynote speech titled “Seizing Firmly the Trends of the Times”. President Luo Jun encouraged the graduates to learn the lessons of history, keep a global vision, develop strategic insights, be responsive to changes, and know how to make the right move at the right time. President Luo Jun said that underpinned by the Belt and Road Initiative, Nepal and China will usher in new development opportunities and start a new chapter of cooperation together. SYSU will respond to the call of the governments of China and Nepal, and further enhance cooperation with KU.

Established in 1991, Kathmandu University (KU) is an autonomous, not-for-profit, non-government institution dedicated to maintain high standards of academic excellence. It is one of the two most renowned universities in Nepal. The Prime Minister of Nepal acts as the Chancellor of Kathmandu University. At present, KU has 1 affiliated hospital and 22 outreach health centers. In the past three years, KU School of Medical Sciences and SYSU Global Health Institute have conducted several collaborations in community-based diabetic management, assessment and improvement of quality of primary health care, the use of mobile health in improving care, and maternal and child health, as well as cultivation of health care talents.