Singapore: The training of next-generation clinical investigators in China is at the core of a new collaboration between Sun Yat-sen University (SYSU) and its affiliated hospitals in Guangzhou, China, and The Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Medicine International in Baltimore, US.

The agreement between the academic medical centers was signed in Guangzhou recently. It will provide a long-term platform for exchanges among clinical and translational investigators, research professionals and administrators in both countries, and will lay the foundation for building world-class research infrastructure in China, according to representatives of both institutions.

"China's healthcare sector and biomedical research field are growing rapidly," says Dr Daniel Ford, professor and vice dean of clinical investigation at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. "We are honored to have this opportunity to collaborate with SYSU and its affiliated hospitals to improve research processes, infrastructure and systems. We see this endeavor as a natural extension of Johns Hopkins Medicine's global mission and vision."

"We look forward to working with our colleagues at Johns Hopkins in the areas of clinical and translational research," says Dr Ningsheng Xu, president of SYSU. "We firmly believe that this endeavor will become a milestone in the globalization of our university. The sharing of knowledge between our two institutions will help advance medical science and health care delivery in China, the United States and beyond."

In the first phase of the collaboration, Johns Hopkins experts will travel to SYSU to teach courses and lead workshops designed to strengthen development of investigators and research professionals. These experts also will design a competitive fellowship program at Johns Hopkins for promising SYSU investigators and junior faculty members, and provide strategic and technical advice on a wide range of issues that include research infrastructure, operations, safety and governance.

The agreement will also provide seed grants for collaborative clinical and translational pilot projects that have the potential to develop into larger studies funded by industry or government sources in China and the United States.

"This collaboration demonstrates our commitment to becoming a regional leader in clinical and translational research," says Dr Mengfeng Li, vice president of SYSU and dean of SYSU's Zhongshan School of Medicine. "It is an opportunity for us to leverage Johns Hopkins' expertise in the discovery and application of the latest research advances. We are confident that the sooner we can enhance our training programs and research infrastructure, the sooner we can foster the kind of international collaborative research that will make a difference in people's lives in China and throughout the world."