Bulletin No. 2, 2009

Departmental Reforms of Faculty of Medicine   35  mass to undertake larger research projects with higher impact. Together with our clinical colleagues, we hope to make substantial advances and contributions not only to biomedical research but also to the translation of basic research to clinical applications. Our ultimate goal is to promote lifesaving research locally, regionally and internationally.’ School of Public Health and Primary Care Another new school under the Faculty of Medicine is the School of Public Health and Primary Care, established on 1 August to replace the School of Public Health and the Department of Community and Family Medicine. The inclusion of primary care reflects the importance placed internationally on developing primary care as the basis for health service delivery. Prof. Sian Griffiths, director of the school, says, ‘Our school is the first institution in Hong Kong to provide comprehensive education, training, consultation, and research in public health and primary care. Similar to other developed countries, Hong Kong is persistently facing many short-term problems in managing the H1N1 pandemic as well as longer public health challenges, such as obesity, diabetes, environmental and food safet y. To prepare a competent public health workforce in response to such global public health demands, we are expanding the opportunities to study public health by extending from postgraduate to undergraduate levels. Our school has launched the new Bachelor of Science in Public Health programmme in the academic year of 2009–10, which is the first of its kind in the city.’ SPHPC has also reshaped its postgraduate programmes to offer all students grounding in professionally recognized competencies and in areas increasingly recognized as core to public health. The school will continue to work closely in collaboration with partners from all relevant disciplines and institutions.