Many members of the DGHI, Duke Kunshan and Fudan University-led Institutional Partnership pose for a group photo at the partnership gathering on October 16.
Published November 15, 2016, last updated on June 3, 2020 under Research News
Duke Kunshan University was the site of two major global health meetings recently, where faculty from Duke Kunshan and the Duke Global Health Institute (DGHI) played prominent roles.
Second Annual CCUGH Meeting Draws 250+ Attendees
The second annual meeting of the Chinese Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CCUGH), titled Advancing the Health Sustainable Development Goals in China and Globally, took place on October 14 and 15. DGHI and Duke Kunshan professor and CCUGH president Shenglan Tang was the chair of the conference and associate professor and CCUGH secretary general Lijing Yan was the program chair.
More than 250 people attended the gathering from 13 countries including Bangladesh, China, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Nigeria, the Philippines, Switzerland, Uganda, Vietnam and the United States. In addition to the 18 member universities of the CCUGH, 34 other organizations, including academic and research institutions, governmental agencies, non-governmental organizations, industry, healthcare organizations, media and professional societies participated in the conference.
Three large plenary gatherings and dozens of concurrent sessions featured presentations on cutting-edge global health research from around the world. Conference themes included health systems strengthening; emerging infectious diseases; non-communicable diseases; global health education and human resources; China’s engagement in global health development, environmental health and climate change; and reproductive, maternal and child health.
Partners Celebrate Successes and Plan for Network's Future
The CCUGH Conference was followed by a day-long meeting of the DGHI, Duke Kunshan and Fudan University-led Institutional Partnership Meeting on October 16. The gathering—the fourth meeting of the partnership—included 26 participants from seven countries representing 13 universities and two outside organizations (the Chinese National Health and Family Planning Commission and the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention).
In his remarks to open the meeting, DGHI deputy director Randall Kramer captured the essence of the network’s mission by saying, “We accomplish more in global health by working together.”
The meeting featured a series of presentations about pilot projects undertaken by partner institutions that were funded by the partner network. It also included discussions about student field experiences and best practices associated with securing research funding.
In presenting a project that brought together institutions from four countries to examine the cost of providing diabetes treatment and the resulting financial burdens on patients, Tang remarked, “With such a small investment, we have had a significant output,” which included a publication in Diabetic Medicine, a manuscript submitted to BMC Health Services Research and two academic theses.
“This meeting was a fruitful sharing of experiences, lessons learned, advice and best practices, from which we all benefited greatly,” said Yan. “We look forward to continued collaboration and will actively seek ways to expand our partnerships.”
Professor Qian Xu of Fudan University echoed Yan’s sentiments in her remarks to close the meeting: “I am encouraged by the potential for new areas of collaboration, in non-communicable diseases, maternal and child health, and healthcare financing. Our small group has deep ties and a very promising future.”
