ZJU and Columbia University Hold First-Ever Joint Forum on Biomedicine

The First Joint Forum of ZJU-ITM and CUMC was held at Zhejiang University on October 24-25. This forum was co-organized by ZJU’s Institute of Translational Medicine (ZJU-ITM) and the Wu Family China Center for Health Initiatives at Columbia University.

The forum was co-chaired by Prof. SUN Yi, dean of ZJU-ITM, and Dr. Anke Nolting, director of the Wu Family China Center and associate dean of Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC).

LUO Jianhong, vice president of ZJU, made opening remarks introducing the partnership between ZJU’s School of Medicine and CUMC. He hoped this forum would contribute to the partnership between the two universities in biomedicine. Back in March 2016, LUO headed a ZJU delegation to attend the inauguration ceremony of the Wu Family China Center.

Stanley Chang, chair of the Wu Family China Center and honorary dean of the Edward S. Harkness Eye Institute, expressed his cordial gratitude for ZJU’s efforts in hosting this forum and gave a brief review of CUMC’s cooperation with top universities in China.

Chang expected that the forum would facilitate the cooperative work between the two universities in biomedicine, carry forward the wishes of Dr. Clyde and Helen Wu and make more contributions to promoting understanding and cooperation between China and the US in medicine and culture.

The success of this forum lays a solid foundation for the second edition, which is set to take place in early November next year at Columbia University. The two universities will then specify concrete responsibilities in cooperative projects and search for new partnerships.

Activities of this kind are expected to promote ZJU’s implementation of the Double First-class Initiative in the field of biomedicine, build ties between ZJU and such world-renowned universities as Columbia University, and push forward the globalization of Chinese universities.

For a detailed look into the interactions between ZJU and Columbia University, please visit: http://www.columbiamedicinemagazine.org/features/spring-2015/ps-expands-its-global-reach-new-program-china