In a bid to propel West China Medicine to the forefront of global excellence and to deepen academic exchanges and cooperation with key countries along the "Belt and Road" initiative, Party Secretary Cheng Yongzhong of West China Hospital, Sichuan University, led a delegation to Istanbul, Turkey, from November 17 to 18, for in-depth academic exchanges with Istanbul University Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine, culminating in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
Established
in 1827, Istanbul University Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine is the oldest and
top-ranked medical school in Turkey, exerting a profound influence on Turkey
and neighboring countries. The faculty and its affiliated Murat Dilmener
Hospital currently have about 3,000 students, 1,100 professors, and 2,525
administrative staff, while the hospital boasts nearly 1,000 doctors, 77
laboratories, 42 departments, and 179 medical units, serving approximately 1.5
million patients annually.
At
the exchange symposium, Acting Rector Mehmet Bilgen warmly welcomed the
delegation from West China Hospital and emphasized that China and Turkey, as
the eastern and western ends of the Asian continent, historically marked the
start and end of the Silk Road and are natural partners in the "Belt and
Road" initiative. He noted that despite frequent high-level visits between
the two countries, there has been limited in-depth exchange and cooperation in
the field of medicine. The signing of the MOU signifies the beginning of
cooperation in the medical field, reflecting a high degree of consensus and
willingness to collaborate, marking the first medical cooperation MOU signed
with a Chinese institution.
To
further deepen cooperation and integrate the international development strategy
of Chinese enterprises, West China Hospital and Mindray Co. reached a consensus
to jointly promote the implementation of "Belt and Road" medical
exchange and cooperation projects. At the signing ceremony, both sides jointly
unveiled the "Belt and Road" Medical Exchange Center, indicating future
strengthened exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and Turkish medical
institutions in the fields of medical technology training, medical talent
cultivation, and medical humanities concepts.
During
the visit, Vice President Wang Kunjie of West China Hospital had in-depth
exchanges with Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine and visited the affiliated
hospital to explore specific cooperation in areas such as faculty and student
exchanges, medical student summer camps, doctoral training, clinical specialty
exchanges, and joint academic conferences.
