History of global cooperation and exchanges goes back almost a century

Wuhan University remains committed to expanding cooperation with overseas colleges as part of a decadeslong effort to promote international exchanges.

The university's international cooperation and exchanges date back to 1936, when a single student from the United Kingdom was admitted. Five years after the 1949 founding of the People's Republic of China, the university began accepting enrollment of international students, becoming one of the earliest universities in the country to do so.

For decades, Wuhan University has continued its drive to join hands with international colleges to further international exchanges. This year marks the 10th anniversary of Duke Kunshan University, a joint venture between Wuhan University and Duke University in the United States that has become a model for international cooperative education in China.

So far, the university based in Kunshan, Jiangsu province, has completed the second phase of construction, and after 10 years of development, it has achieved outstanding accomplishments and innovation in international education cooperation, which Vincent Price, president of Duke University, calls "a great source of pride". Collaboration will continue to be a key factor in achieving success and an important foundation for the future development of the university, said Price.

Committed to opening-up and introducing high-quality educational resources from around the world, Wuhan University has established cooperative relationships with 310 universities and research institutions in 53 countries and regions.

The university has made significant achievements in global cooperation, including its School of Water Resources and Hydropower Engineering, which has been granted a UNESCO Chair on Asia-Pacific Water-Food-Environment Nexus. Moreover, it has initiated undergraduate and doctoral student exchange programs with Durham University in the UK and collaborated with the University of Bristol to establish an on-campus bachelor's and master's degrees combined program.

One of Wuhan University's outstanding performers in advancing international communication is its School of Medicine.

Sarbottam Shrestha, a Nepalese student who graduated from the school in 1995, said: "During my time studying in Wuhan, a profound quote from traditional Chinese medicine that left a lasting impression on me was: 'There are no incurable diseases, only unskilled doctors.'"

After graduating, Shrestha returned to Nepal to begin his career as a clinical neurologist, and today he credits the education and training he received at Wuhan University for his outstanding success in treating patients.

Taking the opportunity to promote education and teaching reform based on competency-oriented training, the School of Medicine has expanded cooperation with the University of Chicago from the initial Sino-US medical reform pilot course to all medical students, from undergraduate education to standardized training for resident physicians, and educational to medical research cooperation. More than a decade of in-depth cooperation has made Sino-US medical reform a model for revamping the domestic medical education system.

In 2018, Wuhan University began to collaborate with McGill University in Montreal, Canada. The following year, it established the Wuhan University-Harvard Medical School Innovation Center, creating a platform for scientific research cooperation with the renowned US university.

Leveraging its strengths in specialty disciplines, it has also established multiple joint research centers with countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, including the Wuhan University-Punjab University Honglian Hybrid Rice Joint Research Center, the Wuhan University-Kathmandu University Hydropower Research Center for Himalaya Region, the Belt and Road Health Research Institute, and the China-Russia Joint Research Center in the Polar Region. These initiatives are leading the way in building communities focused on food security, water technology and public health.

In 2020, the Wuhan University-Punjab University Honglian Hybrid Rice Joint Research Center was selected as a key project supported by the international science and technology organizations cooperation platform of Chinese Association for Science and Technology for the BRI.

On top of that, the university has also participated in international Chinese language education and Confucius Institute development work. Currently, it is partnered with universities in France, Germany and the UK to co-run three Confucius Institutes.

Additionally, Wuhan University has continued to strengthen its collaboration with Africa in fields such as healthcare, education exchange, technological cooperation and volunteer work.