Source: Office of International Cooperation & Exchange
Written by: Office of International Cooperation & Exchange
Translated by: Zhang Chentao

At 9 am on March 4, Sun Yat-sen University (SYSU) and its affiliated hospitals signed a collaboration agreement with Johns Hopkins University (JHU) and Johns Hopkins Medicine International (JHI) located in Baltimore, U.S., on North Campus of SYSU. The three parties intend to establish a long-term partnership in the field of clinical and translational research. The specific targets of collaboration include: SYSU and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (JHM) jointly establish the SYSU center for clinical and translational research, and work together to cultivate China's next generation clinical and translational inveistigators with international perspectives through conducting  joint research projects, imparting knowledge and etc. Daniel E. Ford, Vice Dean for Clinical Investigation,Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Li Mengfeng, Vice President of SYSU; Wei Minghai, Vice President of SYSU, and persons in charge of relevant units in medical sciences attended and witnessed the signing ceremony.

JHM is a global leader in the field of medicine, as well as a cradle for the development and industrialization of new medical technologies. Xu Ningsheng, President of SYSU, is looking forward to the strategic cooperation between the two universities in the field of clinical research and translational medicine. He firmly believes that the collaboration is a milestone in the internationalization of medical research at Sun Yat-sen University. The two universities will share resources, complement each other’s advantages and join hands to promote the development of the medical and health undertakings of the two countries and even mankind.

Vice President Li Mengfeng said in his speech that the collaboration shows SYSU’s determination to become a leader in the field of clinical and translational research, and it is a major opportunity for SYSU to use JHU’s research resources and the latest research achievements. The project will have a profound impact on enhancing the level of medical technology and research in China. We firmly believe that only by stepping up the pace and improving the level of training programs and research infrastructure can we facilitate the signing of such international research collaboration agreement more quickly and make efforts to improve the life of people in China and the world at large.

Vice Dean Daniel Ford said that China's medical industry and scientific research have been in rapid growth in recent years. Sun Yat-sen University and its affiliated hospitals is one of China’s largest academic medical service systems. They feel honored to have the opportunity to collaborate with SYSU and see it as a global expansion of the mission and vision of Johns Hopkins Medicine.

It is learned that the collaboration will provide a long-term communication platform for researchers engaged in clinical research and translational medicine as well as administrative staff in China and the United States, and lay the foundation for SYSU to establish a medical research institution that is first-class in the world and top-notch in China. In the first stage of collaboration, experts from JHU will visit SYSU to teach courses in person and give lectures, assist in upgrading the level of SYSU’s medical research infrastructure, and jointly cultivate high-end clinical and translational researchers. Meanwhile, the two universities will set up a special committee of experts to annually select and send 10 outstanding young clinical researchers and 3 medical administrators from SYSU to JHU School of Medicine for specialized training. In addition, experts from JHU will evaluate the clinical research capacity, infrastructure framework, research management of SYSU and its affiliated hospitals, and offer "tailor-made", specific strategic planning and substantive technical guidance. According to the agreement, SYSU will also provide "seed money" and fund 10 clinical translational research projects selected according to the strengths and key areas of medicine in the two universities. These projects are expected to develop into high-level international collaboration projects to attract injection and support of more research funds from central and local governments as well as the industries.

John Hopkins University (JHU) is a world-renowned institution of higher education and ranks among the top in various world university rankings. It is the first modern research university in the U.S. JHU is world-famous for its medicine, public health, space science, international relations, literature, music and other disciplines. JHU receives the most funding from the federal government and the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH). By 2012, JHU has a total of 36 alumni who won the Nobel Prize. As a teaching and research hospital of the JHU School of Medicine, the Johns Hopkins Hospital has been ranked top in the list of the annual “America’s Best Hospitals” by U.S. News &World Report.