On Aug 17, Cao Hong, vice-president of Lanzhou University (LZU), met with Michael L. Nerlich, professor and president of the German-Chinese Medical Society (GCMS), and his 5 colleagues in the VIP Hall of the university’s Run Run Shaw Science Building. The two sides exchanged views on consolidating and deepening cooperation in the medical field. Also present were heads of the university’s First Hospital and Office of International Cooperation and Exchange.

On behalf of LZU, Cao Hong welcomed the visit of Nerlich and his delegation and thanked him for supporting and guiding the medical disciplines of the university in terms of medical talent cultivation and discipline construction. She once again congratulated Nerlich on winning the Dunhuang Award for Outstanding Foreign Experts by Gansu Provincial Government in 2022. She said that LZU will further deepen exchanges with the GCMS, Ruhr University Bochum and the University of Hamburg in a bid to promote scientific cooperation in public health and contribute to Sino-German educational cooperation.

Nerlich acknowledged the progress the First Hospital of LZU has made in recent years, noting that despite the challenges facing international cooperation at present, the two sides should continue to advance exchanges. Sino-German medical cooperation is promising and of great significance, said Nerlich. With the extensive application of Chinese science and technology and AI in the medical field, China has made great strides in medical science. He hoped that China and Germany would facilitate each other through collaboration for the health and well-being of mankind.

During their visit, the German delegation held discussions separately with staff of LZU’s First Hospital and Second Hospital. Nerlich and Christian Waydhas, professor and director of Surgical Intensive Care at University of Bochum Hospital, delivered lectures on research capacity enhancement to undergraduate and graduate students at LZU’s School of Basic Medical Sciences. The German experts also attended 2023 Belt and Road Countries·China Refined Hospital Management and High-quality Development International Academic Conference, held by the First Hospital from Aug 18 to 20.