The Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University (AHNU) and the University Hospitals of Leicester jointly established the Nantong-Leicester hospitals cooperative institute of nephrology recently.
The nephrology department of AHNU, founded in 1976, is one of the earliest nephrology specialty sites in China. It became the core hospital of the national clinical center of kidney disease in 2017.
"The level of the diagnosis and treatment of kidney diseases in AHNU is at the forefront in China. But compared with international standards, we still have gaps in our capabilities, including concept, technologies and methods," said Gao Jianlin, director of AHNU.
The University of Leicester, founded in 1921, is a comprehensive university renowned for its research in fields such as medicine, genetic science, biochemistry, space technology and museology. Its scientific research achievements have won the Queen's Award for many times.
Nantong University and the University of Leicester have maintained friendly exchanges since 2009. The two sides signed a friendly cooperation agreement in 2013.
AHNU has sent more than 50 medical staff to study at the University of Leicester since the implementation of both the teacher training program and the medical doctor training program in 2014.
Yang Bin, director of the Nantong-Leicester hospitals cooperative institute of nephrology, said that through the joint efforts of Chinese and British experts, AHNU will see significant improvements in scientific research, clinical diagnosis and treatment, talents cultivation and management, better serving patients with kidney diseases.
AHNU has been actively studying advanced medical technologies from other countries, such as the United States, Japan and Australia, and has cooperated with top international universities and institutes, including the Cleveland State University, the University of Melbourne and the Australian Institute of Ophthalmology in recent years.