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Deal links Western with world's largest hospital in China

UWO: PhD students from China are expected to start studying in London next year

By JOHN MINER, The London Free Press

September 21, 2010

Xuehong Wan of Sichuan University shows Michael Strong of UWO where to sign an agreement between the two universities Monday.(MIKE HENSEN, The London Free Press)

Under an agreement linking the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry with the largest hospital in the world, PhD students from China are expected to start studying in London next year.

"We have already begun picking qualified candidates," said Xuehong Wan, vice dean of education at West China School of Medicine at Sichuan University.

West China School of Medicine, in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, is affiliated with West China Hospital, a 4,300-bed facility that handles 2.5-million outpatient visits a year.

The agreement signed Monday will allow students from China and Western to graduate with a dual degree from both universities after spending an equal amount of time studying at each institution.

Wan said Western, although much smaller than Sichuan, was an attractive partner for its students.

"It is very progressive, high tech in the field of medicine, imaging and medical education."

Wan also noted Western's affiliation with CSTAR, the robotic surgery research centre at University Hospital.

"Our students will have the chance to come here to study and do research and that is a very good opportunity for our top students."

Details of how the two PhD programs will be meshed are still being worked out by Western and Sichuan officials.

With students being tested in both Chinese and English, the students from China will have to be proficient in English while Western students will have to be able to speak and write in Chinese.

Dr. Victor Han, associate dean of research at Schulich, said it's expected more students in the dual PhD program will come from China because of the language requirements.

Western will benefit under the agreement by having the top medical students and researchers come from China to train, Han said.

"That will enrich our experience," he said.

The agreement between Western and Sichuan is the latest move to link London and West China Hospital, originally founded by Canadian missionaries.

E-mail john.miner@sunmedia.ca, or follow Johnatlfpress on Twitter.

 

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