Synergising efforts for medical research advancements

Participants of the CUHK-UU joint workshop.

CUHK hosted the first joint workshop with Utrecht University (UU) during 10-11 January 2019 with participation from a 14-member delegation led by Prof. Anton Pijpers, President of the Executive Board, UU. Over 40 researchers from both universities joined the workshop to review existing collaborations in medicine and identify new joint initiatives in four areas including Orthopaedics and Regenerative Medicine, Child Health, Cancer and Organoid, and Brain and Neuroscience. The delegation also visited facilities at the Prince of Wales Hospital and the recently commissioned Hong Kong Children’s Hospital to learn more about the latest health care developments in the territory.

The two-day event provided impetus for new projects relating to bone imaging, neonatology and clinical infectious diseases, colorectal cancer, and optical imaging informed transcranial magnetic stimulation, among other initiatives. Prof. Rocky S. Tuan, Vice-Chancellor of CUHK, was impressed by the achievements jointly made by the two universities over the past 15 years and was hopeful that the partnership will produce world-class and impactful collaborative research.

UU is a leading comprehensive research university in the Netherlands. CUHK and UU have identified each other as a partner of strategic importance for deep collaborations in teaching and research. The two universities collaborate in a wide array of disciplines on multiple fronts, including joint centre/laboratory in Language, Mind and Brain, and Respiratory Virus and Immunobiology.

Prof. Rocky S. Tuan presents a souvenir to Prof. Anton Pijpers (left), President of the Executive Board, UU at the closing of the workshop.