Chancellor gives keynote speech at international global health forum



Chancellor Youmei Feng delivers her speech at the forum in Xi’an

Chancellor Youmei Feng and Chenkai Wu, an assistant professor of global health at Duke Kunshan whose research focuses on healthy aging, joined leading international experts at a conference in September to discuss the public health challenges facing societies around the world.

They were among the scholars, analysts, and university and hospital presidents from China, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, and other countries, who took part in the third Belt and Road Initiative Global Health International Congress and 2019 Global Health Forum.

Held in the city of Xi’an, Shaanxi province, the event was organized by the University Alliance of the Silk Road (UASR), a nonprofit NGO that aims to foster international cooperation in higher education.

Feng delivered the keynote speech at the global health forum, which was themed ‘Sharing Opportunities for Development: Promoting Health for the Globe,’ on Sept. 14.

She spoke about the cutting-edge research being carried out at Duke Kunshan and how it could apply to economies along the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a China-led plan to boost trade and other cooperation among nations in Asia, Europe and Africa.

‘We combined the splendid culture of the Chinese nation and implemented Duke University’s talent educational philosophy, and we’ve put the teaching-centered principle into effect, focused on demand, and promoted high-level scientific research and industry-university research cooperation,’ she said.

Feng, who is also vice chair of the China Association of Higher Education’s Medical Education Committee, added that Duke Kunshan has provided valuable experience in global health research and teaching to more than 200 individuals over the past five years.

On Sept. 15, Wu also gave a presentation to members of the Chinese Preventive Medicine Association and Chinese Society on his research, which looks at the care provided to disabled older adults in China.

‘China has more than 40 million incapacitated elderly who are unable to carry out basic daily activities, such as bathing or feeding themselves,’ he said. ‘The system in China is not prepared for the increasing demand for elderly care services, while socio-demographic transitions have changed the traditional family care situation.’

Wu explained that he aims to examine the patterns in primary caregivers for adults over 80 years old in China and whether there is an association between the type of caregiver and mortality.

Overall, the congress included 21 sessions covering topics ranging from big data, artificial intelligence, smart devices and international collaboration to chronic disease prevention, nutrition and obesity.

Established in 2015 by Xi’an Jiaotong University, the UASR provides a platform to build cooperation among universities in countries involved in the BRI and to promote openness and development across the Eurasia region.

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Gareth McPherson

Email: gareth.mcpherson@dukekunshan.edu.cn

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